Lucknow: Fifteen people who died in the devastating fire that tore through a building in Lucknow’s Aliganj area succumbed to suffocation after inhaling large quantities of smoke, with post-mortem examinations revealing that toxic fumes, not flames, were the primary cause of death, doctors said on Wednesday.
The post-mortem examination found no clear evidence of extensive burn injuries or deep wounds that could directly explain the deaths, the doctors associated with the examination process told PTI.
However, doctors observed swelling around the faces and eyes of several victims and detected soot and smoke particles inside their nasal passages, indicating that they had inhaled large quantities of smoke before their deaths.
“The post-mortem examination has revealed that all 15 victims died due to suffocation caused by smoke inhalation. No major burn injuries or grievous external wounds were found that could be attributed as the direct cause of death,” a senior doctor involved in the examinations told PTI on condition of anonymity.
Observation shared with the investigating authorities
Based on the findings, doctors concluded that all 15 victims died due to asphyxiation caused by smoke inhalation.
The observations have been shared with investigating authorities.
Explaining the findings of the autopsies, the doctor said fires in enclosed spaces often turn deadly because of smoke and toxic gases rather than direct exposure to flames.
“In enclosed spaces affected by fire, oxygen levels can rapidly decline while toxic gases accumulate, creating conditions that can lead to suffocation,” the doctor said.
“In many cases, trapped occupants do not get sufficient time or opportunity to escape. The deceased must have lost consciousness due to heavy smoke before their deaths,” the doctor told PTI.
Senior doctors noted that fatalities in fire incidents are frequently caused by toxic gases present in smoke. When smoke engulfs a confined space, oxygen levels drop sharply, making breathing increasingly difficult.
The burning of plastic, foam and other synthetic materials can release poisonous gases such as carbon monoxide, which interferes with the body’s ability to carry oxygen in the blood and can cause unconsciousness and death within a short period, they said.
Notice regarding violation of regulations pasted on building
The Lucknow Development Authority on Wednesday pasted a notice on the Aliganj building, directing the owner to submit a response within 15 days, officials said.
The notice relates to alleged violations of building bylaws and unauthorised use of the premises, which had been approved for residential purposes but was being used commercially. Officials said further action, including demolition of the structure, could be initiated after the statutory period expires and the owner’s reply is examined.
LDA Vice Chairman Prathamesh Kumar told PTI on Wednesday that the authority had served the notice on June 23 and fixed a hearing for July 7.
He said the law requires a 15-day opportunity for the owner to present his case.
“Any response received during this period would be scrutinised before a final decision is taken. If no satisfactory explanation is submitted and a demolition order is eventually issued, the authority will proceed with razing the structure,” he said.
Kumar also said the LDA has constituted seven teams to carry out an intensive citywide drive against building bylaw violations and unauthorised commercial activities.
A demolition notice was issued 10 years ago
According to LDA officials, the three-storey structure had previously come under scrutiny in 2016 after authorities found that construction beyond the sanctioned residential plan had been carried out and the premises were being used for commercial purposes.
A demolition order was issued in May 2016 for the unauthorised portion of the building. However, the proceedings were withdrawn less than two months later after the owner submitted a representation claiming he had not been given an opportunity to be heard before the order was passed.
Reminders of loss
A man who laid flowers outside, a survivor’s friend who came to collect his motorcycle and curious onlookers clicking pictures — the hollow, charred remains of the Aliganj building where a blaze claimed 15 lives now stand as a memorial and an eerie reminder of loss.
In the foreground are burnt metal frames and bookshelves. The site of one of Lucknow’s deadliest fire tragedies in recent years is cordoned off with yellow police tape.
Around Tuesday midnight, a man came with flowers and a photograph of the victims. He placed the photograph on a bench outside the building and paid tributes to them before leaving quietly.
Also among the visitors were friends of Bhuvan Srivastava, one of the few who managed to escape the fire by sliding down a wire.
One of the friends told PTI that they had come to retrieve Srivastava’s motorcycle, which had remained at the spot since Monday after he was directly taken to the hospital.
A policeman manning the blackened building said, “It seems kind of spooky now, especially at night.”
Traffic passing by the building on Usha Mehta Marg slowed down or stopped, with many quickly pulling out their mobile phones and craning their necks to click pictures or record videos of the gutted building.
Lucknow fire
A devastating fire ripped through a three-storey commercial complex housing an animation centre on Aliganj’s Usha Mehta Marg on Monday afternoon, killing 15 people, most of them youngsters, and injuring several others.
The tragedy triggered widespread outrage and prompted the Uttar Pradesh government to order a high-level probe into the incident.
Uttar Pradesh authorities have since intensified a statewide drive against coaching centres and institutions violating safety norms, with fresh inspections conducted in the state capital and several institutes sealed in Mathura and Aligarh on Wednesday.
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