Lucknow fire: Promise of ‘I will return by evening’ remained unfulfilled, 15 lives extinguished

Lucknow: What happened in Aliganj area of ​​Lucknow not only burnt a building, but also turned the dreams, hopes and future of 15 families into ashes. The flames subsided within a few hours, but the screams in the houses from where sons and daughters left forever will probably not stop for years.

Every face in the crowd was telling a story. Someone was sitting holding his son’s photo close to his chest, someone was crying calling his daughter’s name. Someone’s eyes were dry and someone’s tears were not stopping. There were not just dead bodies here, there were broken dreams, scattered families and questions to which everyone was searching for answers.

Hundreds of people remained present till late night. Someone hoped that maybe a miracle would happen. But every time hope was dashed. A mother was fainting again and again at the mention of her son’s name.

The family members would take care of him and give him water, but as soon as the picture of his son appeared, his pain would flare up again. There were many families who still could not believe that their child who left home in the morning would never return.

One father was continuously repeating this, he had gone saying that he would come by evening. Hearing this was tearing the hearts of everyone present there. Because this accident not only took the lives of people, but also destroyed the normal promises and expectations that every family lives by every day.

Sagar, Nilesh, Anamika, Sanyam, Anushka, Sukhmani, Aditya Srivastava, Jyoti, Bhavishya, Abdul Rehman, Suraj Bah, Bahjaan, Jayanij Chakraborty, Mohammed Ammar and Sumalya. These are not just names. These were those 15 lives which had their own dreams.

Some had started their career, some were expecting a family, some were preparing to support their parents. But it was all over within a few minutes.

Aditya Srivastava was also among those who lost their lives in this accident. Aditya worked in the same animation center where the fire took place and was the source of hope for his family. It is difficult to express in words the pain of his mother Kalpana Srivastava outside the post-mortem house.

She claimed that she was present at the spot during the incident and saw the entire incident with her own eyes. They allege that if the rescue had been done in the right direction in the initial period, the lives of many children could have been saved.

In an emotional tone, he said that if the rescue work had been started from where the smoke was initially coming out, it was possible that many people would have been taken out safely. He also raised the question as to why speed was not shown in taking the injured to the hospital.

According to him, if timely treatment had been provided, perhaps some lives could have been saved. Remembering her son, she would cry again and again and say that her child would not come back, but if help had been received on time, perhaps he would have been with us today.

According to eyewitnesses, calls for help were continuously coming from the fire. People trapped inside were searching for a way out, but the main road was in the grip of fire and smoke. People present at the spot told that there were some moments when the entire area was echoing with the sound of screams.

Someone was asking for help from the window, someone was calling his family members for the last time on mobile phone. Rescue teams tried their best, but the density of smoke and intensity of fire made the operation extremely challenging.

When the road ahead proved almost useless, the administration decided to break the wall of the adjacent building to reach inside. Holes were made in the wall. But the smoke present inside was so much that it became difficult for the rescue workers to move forward.

Hope was diminishing with every minute. The family members standing outside were continuously praying that their loved ones should come out safely. But after some time, when they started coming out one after the other, the atmosphere changed. People began to understand that the damage inside was much greater than anticipated.

Seeing the seriousness of the incident, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath postponed his previously scheduled programs and reached Lucknow directly. He inspected the incident site and took detailed information from the officials.

Expressing condolences to the families of the deceased, the Chief Minister directed for a high-level investigation into the matter. It was also said that if negligence is found at any level, action will be taken against those responsible. Defense Minister and Lucknow MP Rajnath Singh also reached the spot late in the night.

After the accident, questions have been raised on the approvals, construction condition and safety standards of the building. According to the information, the original map of the building was approved for residential use. In the year 2016, the process of action regarding allegations of unauthorized construction was also started.

Later the demolition order was canceled on the basis of objections. Now the entire record is being re-examined. In this sequence, some LDA officials have also been suspended on the instructions of the Chief Minister. LDA Vice President Prathamesh Kumar has constituted a five-member investigation team, which will review all aspects related to the building.