A massive fire broke out in the Vikas Nagar area, Lucknow, engulfing at least 300 Jhuggis and disrupting the lives of as many as 1000 people. The untoward incident, as described by the locals, was “too rapid to allow them” to collect their belongings and documents, resulting in an overwhelming loss.
On visiting the flame-ridden area, one could smell the burnt remains of dead animals and witness the debris spread across the vicinity, lamenting the loss and grief. Meanwhile, the residence chronicles the details of their losses. Standing amidst the devastation is Mustaqeem, identified as an e-rickshaw driver; the flame claimed both his e-rickshaw and his only source of income, his source of survival.
“Before the fire I used to earn well and sustain my life peacefully,” Mustaqeem told this reporter.
“Now everything is gone,” he added, with a palpable worrisome thought on his face. Frantic about his children’s future, he hopes to receive compensation from the government.
A walk away from him is Rajat, highlighting the problem following the blaze. The prime one being the decent place to relieve themselves.
“Every Jhuggi had his own toilet and proper sewage system; we never relieved ourselves in the open, but now we are forced to,” he said while talking to FoEJ Media.
Residents further alleged that the fire brigade could not make it on time, resulting in the snowballing of the blaze. “If they had arrived on time, the fire could have been controlled,” said Kamla Dev, a resident of the slum.
“We have no choice but to sleep on the ground. We have no bed and mattress. We can’t sleep because the land here is still very hot. Though some tarpaulins have been provided by NGOs, they can only be used to protect us from sunlight.” We have been living here for almost 3 decades; we have electricity bills with us. We will never leave this,” added Monu Kumar, who had suffered a significant loss.
As reported by the Hayat College of Nursing students and staff, a team was deployed for the survey; as many as 20 people were injured with no fatality. “Though the exact number of injured are not clear yet, the government is estimating around 20 people were injured in the fire and no reported deaths,” they told FoEJ Media. Though the exact cause of the fire is still not known, the deputy CM has ordered a high-level probe to be conducted into the incident.
This investigation aims to determine the exact cause of the blaze, and officials said compensation and rehabilitation measures are being considered, especially following serious allegations from locals.
As the investigation and relief efforts continue, the incident stands as a stark reminder of systemic gaps in urban safety, emergency response, and rehabilitation planning. The coming response from authorities will be critical in shaping both recovery and accountability.
