Video | UP Deputy CM Breaks Down Counting Bodies At Lucknow Fire: 'They Were Our Children'

Last Updated:June 23, 2026, 07:20 IST

Lucknow Coaching Centre Fire: Students arrived to learn animation in their summer break; 15 never made it home, 9 fight for life at KGMU.

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak was visibly overcome with emotion at the scene of the Lucknow coaching centre fire in Aliganj, struggling to hold back tears as he described the young lives lost. The children, he said, had come to the animation centre during their summer holidays to learn a new skill — and never went home.

Pathak, who reached the spot while rescue operations were still underway, told reporters he had seen 11–12 bodies with his own eyes. Later, with tears welling up, he revised that count to 14. “They were our children. It is a very tragic incident," he said, his voice breaking.

Not The First Time Pathak Has Wept In Public

This is not the first time the Deputy CM has been seen weeping publicly. In January, at an event in Meerut on the eve of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary, Pathak broke down on stage while recounting his years of struggle.

He recalled arriving in Lucknow with little more than a kerosene stove his mother had given him, teaching himself to cook alone, often getting the dough wrong because there was no one to show him how.

He spoke of winters without shoes, days without slippers, and of finding a father figure in BR Ambedkar after losing his own father early in life.

“I have lived poverty — I know its pain," he said, before his words caught in his throat and he wept openly on stage, pushing his glasses up to wipe his eyes before somehow completing his address.

How Other Leaders Reacted

Condolences poured in from across party lines. Defence Minister and Lucknow MP Rajnath Singh called the incident “deeply distressing" and conveyed his sympathies to the bereaved families.

Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya termed the loss “deeply heart-wrenching" and prayed for the injured’s recovery.

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and BSP chief Mayawati also expressed grief — with Mayawati cautioning that “mere blame games will not suffice" and calling for collective action to prevent such tragedies.

UP Congress chief Ajay Rai went further, calling it “a glaring example of gross negligence" and demanding a high-level inquiry, alleging the incident reflected the BJP government’s failure.

About the Author

News Desk

The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, ...Read More

News cities lucknow-news Video | UP Deputy CM Breaks Down Counting Bodies At Lucknow Fire: 'They Were Our Children'

Read More