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Post-mortem reveals 15 victims died of suffocation, not burns
Lucknow: A major revelation has emerged in the Aliganj fire tragedy that claimed 15 lives at Hexar Studio, an animation centre operating from a four-storey building in Sector-D. The post-mortem report has confirmed that none of the victims died due to burns or external injuries. Instead, all 15 young men and women died of suffocation caused by toxic smoke and gases trapped inside the building.
According to doctors who conducted the post-mortem, swelling was found around the victims’ faces and eyes, while soot and fine smoke particles were detected inside their noses. The findings indicate that the victims inhaled dense smoke after the fire broke out in the enclosed premises.
Officials said that burning plastic, foam and other synthetic materials inside the building released poisonous gases, including carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide. As oxygen levels dropped rapidly, the victims first lost consciousness and later died due to suffocation before they could escape.
Preliminary investigation has also pointed to serious negligence. Commercial activities were allegedly being carried out in the building for years without a mandatory electrical audit. Under fire safety norms, commercial establishments are required to conduct an electrical audit every three years to assess wiring capacity and check for overload risks. However, officials said no such audit had been carried out, despite 40 to 50 youths reportedly visiting the premises daily.
Following the tragedy, police registered a case against six named accused, including building owner Virendra Shukla and animation centre operator Tushank Krishna Jaiswal, along with unidentified persons. Four accused have already been arrested and sent to jail after being produced before the court. Raids are underway to trace two others, identified as Dhirendra Shukla and Surendra Shukla.
A forensic team inspected the spot on Tuesday and collected evidence. Initial findings suggest that the fire may have been triggered by a short circuit. An SIT has also been formed to investigate the incident in detail.
Post-mortems were conducted overnight by a panel of doctors after the bodies were identified, allowing the administration to hand them over to the families by Tuesday morning. The process of providing financial assistance to the affected families is also underway.
Police are now seeking technical reports from the LDA, Fire Department, Electricity Department and Directorate of Electricity regarding NOCs, permits and safety compliance. JCP Law and Order Babloo Kumar said strict action will be taken against any person or government department found responsible for negligence in the case.
