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
"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. Read Full Story 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.
The BriefWire