A devastating fire that tore through a commercial building in Lucknow's Aliganj area on Monday has claimed 18 lives, with grief-stricken families now mourning young victims and alleging serious fire safety lapses that left workers with no way out. Among the dead are Sanyam Vij, 28, and Surajbhan Singh, 25, both employed at animation companies operating inside the building.

Families Recount the Night of the Tragedy

Gaurav, Sanyam Vij's maternal uncle, recalled learning of the incident around 8:30–9 PM on Monday night through a phone call to Sanyam's mother from a friend. 'We came to know about the incident around 8:30–9 PM last night. We received a phone call from a friend, who informed Sanyam's mother. After that, we learned about what had happened. As soon as we got the information, we left for Lucknow by car,' he said.

Sanyam had worked in the animation field for five years and was due to travel home the very next day — his family was mourning the death of his grandmother at the time. 'He was supposed to come home tomorrow as the family was mourning the death of his grandmother,' his uncle added.

A relative alleged that the building lacked basic safety infrastructure. 'There has clearly been administrative negligence. The place should not have been allowed to operate in such conditions. It is being said that there were no proper stairs or any fire escape route to get out in case of an emergency,' the relative said.

What We Know About the Victims

Authorities confirmed on Tuesday that 15 of the 18 victims have been identified. The deceased include Shahjan, Sukhmani Singh, Aditya Srivastava, Jwanil Chakraborty, Sagar Pant, Nilesh, Sayyam, Bhavishya, Jyoti, Abdul Rahman, Anamika Samant, Suraj Singh, Md Ammar, and Teejraj — all residents of Lucknow — along with Somalya from South 24 Parganas, West Bengal. Most victims were reportedly between 20 and 24 years of age.

Two injured survivors, identified as Lavpreet and Jayant, both residents of Lucknow, are currently undergoing treatment at King George's Medical University (KGMU).

Alleged Safety Violations and the FIR

Surajbhan Singh's brother, Sudhir, said the family is still piecing together what happened. 'We have been told that the incident happened due to a short circuit. However, we do not yet have complete details to share,' he said. Surajbhan had also been employed at an animation company in the building.

An FIR has been registered at Aliganj Police Station against the building's owners and others under Sections 105, 110, 125 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The case names six individuals. Investigators are probing alleged fire safety violations and other lapses that may have contributed to the blaze.

Four Accused Arrested, Including Studio Operator

Three building owners — Ramkrishna Upadhyay, Virendra Prasad Shukla, and Tushank Krishna Jaiswal — were arrested. Hours later, police confirmed a fourth arrest: Suresh Kumar Sahu, identified as the studio operator, was also taken into custody. The swift arrests signal mounting pressure on authorities to demonstrate accountability in a case that has drawn sharp public attention.

This comes amid recurring concerns across Indian cities about the enforcement of fire safety norms in commercial buildings, particularly those housing informal workplaces. With three names still unidentified among the dead and investigations ongoing, the full picture of what unfolded inside the Aliganj building on Monday night is yet to emerge.