Lucknow, Apr 15 (PTI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday expressed concern over a massive fire that broke out at a slum cluster in the Tedhi Pulia area of Vikas Nagar here, calling for immediate relief and a thorough investigation.
In the fire, about 200 shanties were gutted this evening, according to officials.
The defence minister, who represents the Lucknow Lok Sabha constituency, spoke to the district magistrate (DM) to take stock of the situation.
According to BJP Lucknow City president Anand Dwivedi, Singh expressed concern over the incident and directed the local administration to accelerate rescue and relief operations.
“The defence minister has instructed that every possible assistance be provided to the affected families and ensured that those injured receive proper medical treatment,” Dwivedi said.
District Magistrate Vishakh G briefed Singh on the ground situation, assuring him that the administration is working with “full sensitivity” to restore normalcy.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav took to X to demand an immediate support package for the victims. He urged the state government to provide food, water and alternative housing for the displaced slum dwellers.
“The government should immediately provide food, water and treatment for the injured. Alternative arrangements for shelter must be made,” Yadav posted.
Raising concerns over missing persons and the cause of the blaze, the former chief minister called for a high-level inquiry.
“Every aspect of this massive fire should be investigated deeply after hearing the side of the poor. All apprehensions regarding those who are missing must be cleared,” he added, while appealing to the public to extend all possible help to the victims.
Local authorities are currently engaged in dousing the remaining embers and conducting a search operation to account for all residents of the cluster. The cause of the fire is yet to be officially determined. PTI ABN ABN AMJ AMJ
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.