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Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- A fire in a building housing a library and coaching center in Lucknow, India, killed at least 14 people.
- The blaze started on the middle floor of the three-story commercial building and spread rapidly.
- The cause of the fire is unknown, and it follows several other deadly fires in India in recent months.
A fire in a building in Lucknow, the capital of India's northern Uttar Pradesh state, claimed the lives of at least 14 people on Tuesday. The blaze originated on the middle floor of the three-story commercial structure, which housed a college student coaching center, a library, and a computer graphics section. It quickly engulfed the other levels of the building, located in a residential area.
Officials confirmed the fatalities, with the state's deputy chief minister, Brajesh Pathak, stating that "fourteen children from happy families were killed." Four other individuals sustained injuries. It remains unclear if all the deceased were students. Witnesses reported seeing multiple students leaping from the upper floors to escape the flames.
Firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze, with images from the scene showing flames erupting from the building's facade. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. This incident follows a pattern of deadly fires in India, including a blaze at a hotel in New Delhi that killed 21 people two weeks prior, and another in a government hospital in March that resulted in 10 patient deaths. In 2019, a significant fire in Delhi killed 43 factory workers.
Fourteen children from happy families were killed in the incident.
Originally published by Daily Star. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.