A devastating fire that tore through a commercial building in Lucknow on Monday, 23 June claimed the lives of 15 people, including Nilesh Kumar, a 29-year-old 3D designer, and his fiancée Anamika Samant — a couple whose families had only recently begun planning their wedding. The blaze has left behind shattered families, unanswered questions about building safety, and allegations of a critically delayed emergency response.

A Love Story Cut Short

Nilesh and Anamika had first met as colleagues at the animation centre housed within the same building. Their professional association grew into a close friendship and eventually a relationship, with both families extending their approval and beginning to discuss wedding arrangements. In a heartbreaking coincidence, Anamika's parents had travelled from West Bengal to Lucknow just days before the fire to meet Nilesh's family and discuss the upcoming marriage — a joyful visit that turned into an unimaginable tragedy.

Adding to the family's grief, Anamika's cousin Somilya, who was employed at a coaching centre operating within the building, also perished in the fire.

Family Allegations of Delayed Response

Nilesh's brother, Abhishek Kumar, recounted how the family first learned of the incident through a call from KGMU, only to be summoned shortly after to identify the body. He was scathing about the role of local authorities, alleging that the building had been flagged as illegal a decade ago without any consequential action being taken.

'I think that the administration is responsible for this. If the building was declared illegal 10 years ago, then why was no action taken against it? Who will take the action? The administration should answer. I don't think that there will be any action against anyone, just like it wasn't done in the last 10 years,' Abhishek said.

Nilesh's mother, inconsolable in her grief, alleged that emergency services took nearly an hour to reach the site — a delay she believes cost her son his life. 'There were no proper facilities.... Even 10-15 minutes are enough in such a situation because the fire spreads very quickly. But we came to know that no one had reached there for nearly an hour. By then, everything had happened, and my child lost his life,' she said.

Nilesh's younger sister echoed those allegations, directly holding the fire department accountable. 'The fire brigade arrived very late, after around 40 minutes to one hour. This delay caused the loss of many lives,' she said.

Safety Lapses Under Scrutiny

The allegations raised by the victims' families point to a broader pattern of regulatory failure — a commercial building reportedly flagged as illegal years ago, continuing to operate as a hub for coaching centres and animation studios with no enforcement action. Critics argue that this incident is not an isolated tragedy but a systemic failure of building safety oversight and emergency preparedness in urban Uttar Pradesh.

This comes amid recurring concerns across Indian cities about unauthorised commercial structures operating without adequate fire safety compliance, particularly in densely built educational and commercial zones.

Investigation Underway

Authorities have confirmed that investigations into the cause and circumstances of the fire are ongoing. As of the time of reporting, no arrests or formal accountability measures had been announced. Family members expressed deep scepticism that those responsible would face consequences, citing what they described as a decade of inaction on the building's illegal status.

With 15 lives lost and multiple families devastated, pressure is mounting on the Uttar Pradesh government and Lucknow municipal authorities to provide answers — and to ensure that the systemic gaps exposed by this tragedy are urgently addressed.