Fire at animation studio in India’s Lucknow kills at least 14

SaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkFirefighters work to douse the fire at an institute for college students in Lucknow, June 22, 2026. [AFP]By Al Jazeera Staff, AFP and The Associated PressPublished On 22 Jun 202622 Jun 2026A fire at a college building in the Indian city of Lucknow has killed at least 14 people, most of them students.The blaze broke out on Monday in a three-storey commercial building in the northern Indian city. The building hosted a library and animation studio for college students on one floor, and a veterinary clinic on another.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4India summons US envoy over attack on ship carrying Indian sailors off Omanlist 2 of 4India says US hit another ship off Oman, confirms 3 dead in separate attacklist 3 of 4‘Daily cuts… infections’: India’s e-waste workers face toxic health riskslist 4 of 4US-Iran ceasefire? Not for Indian sailors being killed in Hormuzend of listThe fire started on the middle floor of the three-storey building, located in a residential neighbourhood in the capital city of northern Uttar Pradesh state.Some reports said at least 14 people were killed, while others reported 15 casualties.“Fourteen children from happy families were killed in the incident,” the state’s deputy chief minister, Brajesh Pathak, told reporters, adding that four others were injured.The cause of the fire was not immediately known, nor was it clear if all the dead were students.Firefighters at the blaze in Lucknow, June 22, 2026. [AP Photo/Sumit Kumar]Social media videos showed people climbing out of broken windows. One video appeared to show a man falling from an upper floor while trying to escape. Local media said he survived and was taken to hospital.Firefighters had to force their way into the building by breaking through a wall after dense smoke hindered rescue efforts, officials said. Exhaust fans were reportedly brought in to clear the smoke while emergency crews searched rooms for survivors.Mohammad Asin, an employee at the animation studio, told Associated Press that workers had just returned from lunch when they were alerted.“At first we thought it was a small fire. By the time we tried to leave, smoke had filled the rooms and passageways,” he said.Building fires are common in India due to frequent disregard for safety regulations and a lack of firefighting equipment.Electrical short circuits, often caused by badly maintained wiring, remain the leading cause of fire incidents in India.