Bacha lo: Students trapped in bathrooms made desperate calls as Lucknow blaze raged

"Save me."

Those were among the final words heard from inside a commercial complex in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow before a devastating fire tore through the building on Monday afternoon, killing 15 people, most of them young students and professionals pursuing careers in animation and gaming.

As thick black smoke swallowed the structure, students trapped on upper floors locked themselves inside bathrooms, hoping to survive. Others tried to escape through windows. One student jumped from an upper floor. Another survivor leapt down using a burning wire, suffering severe burns to his hands.

Outside, anguished families rushed to the spot after receiving frantic calls from inside. Mothers pleaded with police to let them enter the building. Residents smashed glass windows with whatever they could find in a desperate effort to save those trapped.

'EVERYTHING WAS BURNING'

One survivor who escaped the inferno recalled the terrifying moments inside the building.

Showing his burnt hands to media cameras, he said people were desperately searching for a way out as flames spread rapidly.

“Everything was burning. We were running. We jumped down using a burning wire. My hands got burnt while trying to escape,” he said.

The man suffered burns while holding onto the wire during his escape from the building.

According to eyewitnesses, panic spread within minutes as smoke filled the upper floors where students and employees were working.

STUDENTS LOCKED THEMSELVES INSIDE BATHROOMS

The three-storey commercial complex in Aliganj Sector D housed a pet shop and veterinary clinic in the basement, ground floor and first floor.

The second floor housed Learning Space, a coaching centre, and Head Hopper Studio, where 3D art production and game asset outsourcing work was carried out.

Many of those present were students attending animation courses during their summer vacation, while others were young artists and employees working at the studio.

As the smoke thickened and escape routes disappeared, several students reportedly locked themselves inside a bathroom in a desperate attempt to protect themselves from the flames.

One of the trapped youths reportedly called family members and friends, saying five to six people had taken shelter inside a bathroom and were waiting to be rescued.

For many, help never arrived in time.

STUDENT JUMPS FROM UPPER FLOOR

One of the most dramatic moments unfolded when a student jumped from an upper floor to escape the advancing fire.

He landed on a grill below and suffered serious injuries.

Eyewitnesses said people gathered below and tried to help as those trapped searched desperately for any possible escape route.

Visuals from the scene showed locals rushing to assist the injured student before he was taken for treatment.

Several others managed to escape with minor injuries, while many remained trapped inside the smoke-filled building.

'LET ME GO TO MY SON'

As the fire raged, scenes of heartbreak unfolded outside the building.

Relatives who received distress calls from their loved ones rushed to the spot only to find flames engulfing the structure.

One grief-stricken mother repeatedly begged officials to let her enter the building.

“Mujhe jaane do apne bete ke paas (Let me go to my son),” she screamed while struggling to move past police personnel.

The cries of family members echoed through the area as rescue workers battled the blaze.

Many relatives spent hours waiting for information about their loved ones.

ADITYA'S LAST HOURS

Among those killed was 25-year-old Aditya Srivastava, who worked at the animation studio.

His colleague Dhiraj Mehra said Aditya called him from inside the burning building.

“He called me saying 'bacha lo', and I rushed to the site,” Mehra recalled.

By the time he arrived, thick smoke had already engulfed the building.

Aditya's mother later broke down while speaking about her son's death.

“Had attention been paid at the right time, perhaps the children could have been saved. My son worked at the animation studio. I reached there around 2.20 pm. Nobody answered the phone,” she said.

“Had someone paid a little more attention, my son would be alive today. My world has been destroyed.”

Her emotional remarks reflected the anger and grief among families who lost young sons and daughters in the tragedy.

RESIDENTS BECAME FIRST RESPONDERS

Even before large rescue teams could gain access to the building, local residents began trying to save those trapped.

People smashed glass windows to create openings for smoke to escape.

Others shouted instructions to those trapped inside and attempted to identify where people were stranded.

Residents of neighbouring buildings supplied water bottles to firefighters as rescue operations intensified.

One eyewitness, Anurag Pandit, a civil services aspirant, could only hope that those trapped would survive.

“I am praying they are alive,” he said.

FIREFIGHTERS STRUGGLED TO ENTER BUILDING

Although fire officials said two fire tenders reached the site within two minutes and 15 seconds of receiving information about the blaze, entering the building proved difficult.

Three fire tenders had reached the spot within five minutes.

Firefighters initially struggled to gain access because of the intensity of the fire and thick smoke inside the structure.

It was only after hydraulic firefighting equipment arrived that teams were able to break through walls and enter deeper sections of the building.

Visuals showed firefighters climbing ladders and attempting rescues from the outside, while other teams entered through an adjoining building after creating openings in the upper floors.

Rescue teams from the NDRF, SDRF, police and fire department continued operations for hours.

A total of 19 fire tenders were deployed.

The operation began around 3 pm and concluded around 6 pm.

SOLDIER JOINS RESCUE EFFORTS

Among those helping rescue teams was Lance Naik Chhabi Ram, who happened to be passing through the area when he noticed the fire.

The soldier, currently attached to the Lucknow headquarters, joined rescue efforts and assisted officials during the operation.

Later, he said he witnessed more than a dozen bodies being brought out of the building while several people were rescued alive.

PET SHOP ALSO GUTTED

The devastation extended beyond the students and employees trapped upstairs.

The lower floors housed Drool, a pet shop and clinic that was completely gutted in the blaze.

Rescue workers were seen carrying soot-covered cats and other animals out of the charred premises.

Some animals survived with injuries, while others were found covered in ash.

Animal rights activist Kiran Shukla feared several animals may have died in the fire, though there was no official confirmation.

QUESTIONS OVER BUILDING APPROVALS

As the rescue operation ended, serious questions emerged over the building's approvals and safety compliance.

Sources said the structure had originally received approval as a residential property.

However, it was later converted into a commercial complex.

House tax records reportedly showed that the building where the fire occurred had been approved under a residential map before commercial activities began.

The property is owned by Virendra Prasad Shukla, who is said to be associated with Rameshwaram Engineering College.

LDA documents reportedly list the property in the names of Virendra Prasad Shukla and his brothers Surendra Shukla and Dhirendra Shukla.

Sources said the residential map had been approved earlier and the building was converted into a commercial complex in 2014.

Officials are now examining whether lapses by authorities enabled the conversion and whether action should be taken against engineers and officials responsible for oversight.

Questions have also emerged over fire safety compliance.

According to existing norms, buildings below 15 metres in height and spread across less than 500 square metres do not require a fire department NOC.

Sources said the owners never applied for a fire NOC.

15 DEAD, SEVERAL INJURED

KGMU Vice-Chancellor Prof Sonia Nityanand said 15 bodies were brought to the hospital following the tragedy.

“One child has suffered a broken waist. The remaining injured are undergoing treatment,” she said.

She added that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had directed doctors to ensure proper treatment for all injured victims and promised strict punishment for those found responsible.

The bodies were shifted to the post-mortem facility for identification and autopsy.

Most of those killed were young adults.

Additional police personnel were deployed at hospitals and the mortuary as grieving relatives searched for loved ones.

Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, who visited the site and later supervised relief efforts, was visibly emotional.

A teary-eyed Pathak told reporters that he had seen 14 bodies being brought out of the building.

“These were young boys and girls, our children,” he said.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath later cut short his visit to Aligarh and returned to Lucknow. He inspected the gutted building, visited KGMU and assured families that those responsible for the tragedy would not be spared.

As night fell, families carrying photographs of missing sons and daughters moved between hospitals and the mortuary, searching for answers about how a normal working day inside an animation studio ended in one of Lucknow's worst fire disasters in recent years.

- Ends

With inputs from Santosh Kumar Sharma, Ashish Kumar and Ankit Mishra.