By Abhishek Dey, LUCKNOW India
An inquiry has been ordered after at least 15 people died in a fire that broke out in a building in the northern Indian city of Lucknow on Monday.
The building housed a pet shop and an animation centre. Witnesses described people jumping from windows and climbing down cables to escape, while rescue teams broke through a wall to save lives.
The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. Authorities said the building lacked emergency exits and people got trapped inside as smoke spread.
The tragedy has renewed concerns about fire safety in India's densely occupied commercial buildings, with several deadly blazes in recent months exposing violations of fire safety rules.
"An inquiry has been initiated," Brajesh Pathak, deputy chief minister of Uttar Pradesh state, whose capital is Lucknow, told reporters. "Authorities have been directed to ensure that such incidents do not happen in the future."
The fire was reported at around 14:45 local time (09:15 GMT) on Monday in Lucknow's densely populated Aliganj area.
The pet shop was on the ground floor, while the two floors above were occupied by the animation and 3D gaming centre, officials said.
Flames and smoke engulfed the building's only staircase, cutting off the sole exit. Firefighters reached the terrace via a neighbouring building and breached a side wall to begin rescue efforts.
Witnesses described scenes of panic as people trapped inside tried to escape the smoke. Some climbed down power cables, while others jumped from windows. Several were seen calling for help from inside the building, and dozens were injured.
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