A devastating fire erupted on Tuesday outside the parking lot of Lucknow Civil Court in the Qaiserbagh area, resulting in the complete destruction of twenty two-wheelers. The incident, believed to be caused by a short circuit in the overhead wires, primarily affected vehicles owned by lawyers, which were parked near Gate No. 2. Firefighters swiftly responded to the emergency, managing to extinguish the flames within 30 minutes.
Mangesh Kumar, the Chief Fire Officer of Lucknow, reported receiving a distress call at approximately 1:02 pm. A team comprising five fire tenders promptly arrived at the scene to tackle the inferno. Unfortunately, before their arrival, the raging fire consumed around 20 two-wheelers, leaving their owners devastated. In response to the incident, lawyers organized a protest demanding compensation for their losses. They expressed frustration, claiming that they had previously lodged complaints with the Lucknow Electricity Supply Administration (LESA) and Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) about the hazardous condition of the tangled wires. Regrettably, their concerns were ignored, falling on deaf ears. Narendra Pratap Mishra, a lawyer present at the court premises, recounted the distressing moment when he noticed people frantically searching outside. Rushing out, he discovered that his newly acquired two-wheeler had fallen victim to the raging flames.
Following the incident, an additional Deputy Commissioner of Police from the West Zone, accompanied by the Officer in Charge of Wazirganj Police Station, arrived at the location to address the agitated lawyers. They reassured the protesters that appropriate action would be taken in response to their grievances. CN Sinha, the ADCP of the West Zone, affirmed that the situation was under control. He further added that their team was working in collaboration with the firefighters to clear the debris from the affected area. The lawyers’ demand for compensation highlights the urgency of addressing safety concerns raised by citizens. The authorities must investigate the reported negligence in addressing previous complaints to prevent such unfortunate incidents from occurring in the future.