‘Our complaints were ignored’: Fire survivors recount horror

Lucknow: Days after the devastating Aliganj inferno that claimed 15 lives, survivors have alleged that the tragedy could have been prevented had the building owners acted on repeated warnings about serious fire safety violations.Employees who escaped the deadly blaze told TOI that they had, on several occasions, raised concerns with the building management over the absence of basic fire safety measures, the encroachment of the basement by a pet shop-cum-clinic, and the lack of an emergency exit. According to them, their complaints were ignored, leaving dozens trapped when fire and thick smoke engulfed the building.Among those who survived is Lavpreet Kaur, a young artist who worked at Head Hoppers Studio, housed on the upper floor of the building.

Still battling trauma and unable to resume a normal routine, she said memories of the incident continue to haunt her.Lavpreet recalled that while the management of the animation studio made efforts to ensure safety within its workspace, the building itself lacked even the most basic emergency infrastructure.“Our studio head, Tushank sir, took all possible precautions inside the studio. But the building had no proper ventilation and no second exit.

We had repeatedly informed the owners about these issues, but nothing changed,” she said.Other survivors, including Gaurav Kumar and Shailendra, echoed similar concerns. They alleged that the basement, originally meant for vehicle parking, had gradually been converted into a storage area for pet food, animal accessories and other combustible materials by the pet shop-cum-clinic.According to them, the encroachment substantially reduced parking space and significantly increased the fire load inside the building.The employees said their biggest concern was that the multi-storey building had only a single common staircase serving as both the entrance and exit for all occupants.“When the fire broke out, smoke quickly filled the staircase. Within minutes, it became impossible to use. People on the upper floors had nowhere else to escape,” another survivor recalled.The survivors said they had repeatedly urged the building owners to create an alternative emergency exit and improve ventilation, warning that a fire could prove catastrophic.

They alleged that despite these warnings, no corrective measures were taken.Their statements mirror the preliminary findings of the police and fire department investigation, which pointed to the absence of windows and exhaust systems, a single access staircase, and alleged violations of fire safety norms as factors that contributed to the heavy loss of life.“We escaped, but 15 people never returned home. If our concerns had been taken seriously earlier, perhaps many of them would still be alive today,” one of the survivors said.