Lucknow Fire Tragedy: 60 Establishments Including Coaching Centres Shut Over Fire Safety Violations

Authorities in Noida and Ghaziabad have shut around 60 establishments on Tuesday as fire safety checks intensified across Delhi-NCR after a deadly blaze at a commercial building in Lucknow’s Aliganj area that killed 15 people, Hindustan Times reported.

Most of the premises sealed were coaching centres, though officials said play schools, dispensaries and other public-facing establishments were also found operating without mandatory fire clearances.

The action reflects a wider administrative push to inspect buildings where students, patients and children gather daily, often in congested commercial pockets. Officials said the immediate focus was on whether establishments had valid fire no-objection certificates, a key document meant to show compliance with basic safety requirements such as exits, extinguishers, alarms and access for fire tenders.

Fire safety checks in Noida and Ghaziabad

In Ghaziabad, officials of the Ghaziabad Development Authority sealed 56 establishments during the drive. The authority said it had prepared a list of 206 premises that did not have fire NOCs. The exact zone-wise break-up is still being compiled from across eight zones under the development authority’s jurisdiction.

Speaking to HT, Rudresh Shukla, media coordinator of the GDA, said the drive was limited to checking whether establishments could produce fire NOCs. “During Tuesday's drive, 56 violating establishments were sealed because they could not produce a fire NOC. Furthermore, we are sending communication to the fire department to initiate action as per fire safety norms. We are only checking only fire NOCs,” he said.

In Noida, two coaching-related establishments were sealed. Officials said Om Education coaching centre in Sector 149 was operating without registration and without a fire safety certificate. Another establishment in Sector 49 was found functioning without a valid licence. Both were sealed and served notices to appear before the district inspector of schools with records within two days.

The Gautam Budh Nagar administration said further action would depend on the documents submitted by the operators. “If the records are not submitted within the stipulated period or the required statutory formalities are not found to be complete, sealing action will also be taken as per rules,” an official statement said.

Why coaching centres are under scrutiny

Coaching centres have come under sharper regulatory attention because they often operate from converted commercial or residential spaces. Many such buildings have narrow staircases, limited exits and poor ventilation. In a fire, smoke inhalation can become as dangerous as flames, especially when students are trapped on upper floors without a safe escape route.

District inspector of schools Chandra Shekhar said the campaign would continue against coaching institutes operating without valid registration or mandatory safety standards. “The campaign against coaching institutes operating without valid registration or mandatory safety standards will continue in the district,” he said in a statement.

The management of Om Education questioned the selective focus on coaching centres after the sealing. An official who answered a phone call but declined to give a name or designation said many commercial buildings in Noida function without fire NOCs. The official cited markets, banks and branded stores, and asked why coaching institutes alone were being targeted.

That argument points to a wider enforcement challenge in fast-growing NCR cities. Commercial activity has expanded rapidly into mixed-use areas, high streets and converted buildings. Fire departments and development authorities often discover violations only after inspections are ordered following major incidents. Sustained checks, rather than one-time drives, remain the harder administrative test.

Lucknow fire puts spotlight on building safety

The inspections began a day after a major fire at a three-storey commercial building in Lucknow’s Aliganj area killed 15 people and injured nine others. The building, located on Usha Mehta Marg in the Purania area, housed an animation training institute and a pet shop. Many of those who died were reported to be young students.

The fire broke out around 3 pm on Monday, sending thick smoke into the area and triggering panic among local residents. Several students were trapped on the second floor as the blaze spread through the building. Eyewitnesses said some people jumped from the premises while trying to escape the flames and smoke.

Such incidents usually raise questions about the number of exits, fire alarms, emergency lighting, staircase access and whether combustible material was stored inside. They also draw attention to whether commercial buildings have valid permissions for the activities being run inside them, especially when educational centres operate above shops or in crowded lanes.

Ghaziabad officials said the district administration would be asked to take further action if coaching centres or other establishments were found lacking in fire safety compliance. The city’s fire department has already been conducting a separate drive at residential high-rises after a major fire at Gaur Green Avenue in Indirapuram on April 29.

Ghaziabad chief fire officer Rahul Pal said checks had covered about 250 of the estimated 450 high-rise residential buildings above 15 metres in height. He said 82 cases had been filed in court against violators and inspections would continue. The figures show that safety gaps are not limited to coaching centres or small commercial units.

For parents and students, the latest action is a reminder to check more than course fees, faculty names and results before choosing a coaching centre. Registration, fire clearance, clear exits and visible safety equipment are basic safeguards. For authorities, the challenge now is to ensure the post-Lucknow inspections lead to lasting compliance, not temporary closures followed by business as usual.