Kanpur building fire: Five members of a family die, CM Yogi expresses grief

By NI Bureau | 05/05/2025 | Categories: Uttar Pradesh

Kanpur, May 5, 2025 —

Kanpur building fire: A major fire in a five-storey residential building in Kanpur’s Chaman Ganj area late Sunday night resulted in the deaths of five members of a single family. The victims — a couple and their three daughters — were unable to escape as flames rapidly engulfed the structure. The fire, believed to have started due to an electrical short circuit in a shoe factory operating on the ground floor, escalated into a catastrophic incident.

According to officials, the fire broke out around 8 PM in the Gandhi Nagar locality and quickly spread upward through the residential floors. Firefighting teams faced extreme challenges due to the intensity of the flames and a series of explosions triggered inside the building.

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What made the situation significantly worse was the presence of highly flammable substances inside the factory. As the fire spread, multiple chemical drums began to explode, causing shockwaves that could be felt in surrounding areas. Gas cylinders and air conditioners also burst due to the heat, sending powerful blasts across the neighborhood.

Eyewitnesses reported hearing screams from within the burning apartment as thick smoke and flames took over. Residents in nearby buildings fled with their children, fearing further explosions. The blasts were so strong that several windows and doors in surrounding flats were blown out. In an emergency response, local authorities evacuated a 200-metre radius around the building. Families from at least six residential buildings were shifted to safer locations overnight.

The rescue operation, involving over a dozen firefighters and teams from the police and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), lasted nearly eight hours. By 5:30 AM on Monday, the charred bodies of the five family members were recovered. Several others sustained serious burn injuries and were admitted to the burn unit at Ursula Hospital, where they are undergoing treatment.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed his condolences over the tragic incident and has directed Kanpur district officials to ensure that the injured receive proper medical care. He also called for an urgent and detailed inquiry into the incident and asked for speedy relief and rehabilitation measures to be implemented.

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Police officials, including Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Kanpur) Rajesh Srivastava, confirmed that a forensic investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the fire. Preliminary reports point to an electrical short circuit in the factory as the likely trigger.

This incident has once again highlighted the risks of operating industrial units inside residential complexes — a practice that remains common in older and congested areas of Indian cities. Urban planners and safety experts have repeatedly flagged the dangers associated with such unregulated setups, especially when hazardous materials are stored near living spaces.

Local residents are now demanding strict enforcement of building codes and fire safety regulations. They are also calling for accountability from authorities who failed to monitor illegal or unsafe commercial operations within residential areas.