As reports emerged that the fire was severe, senior police, administrative and government officials hurried to the scene to oversee the response (Express Photo Vishal Srivastav)At 2.35 pm, Ravindra Kumar, 26, a medical practitioner, received a frantic phone call from his friend, Ashutosh Saxena — he was inside a building in Lucknow’s Aliganj when a fire broke out that killed 15 people.“I was 2 km away and rushed to the spot. There was panic and confusion… Ashutosh managed to escape, but he told me the fire was spreading rapidly,” recalled Kumar.“People trapped inside were shouting for help… I could also hear the cries of animals from within the building,” he added.The building housed a pet clinic and shop on the basement, ground and first floors. A graphics animation centre and a library were on the second floor.As reports emerged that the fire was severe, senior police, administrative and government officials hurried to the scene to oversee the response. Among those who visited the site was DGP Rajeev Krishna, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sanjay Prasad and Deputy Chief Minister Brijesh Pathak.Worried relatives and friends also rushed to the scene after receiving frantic calls from those trapped inside.People seen jumpingThick black smoke and flames engulfed large sections of the building. Videos recorded by bystanders showed people leaping from the upper floors in a desperate attempt to escape.Story continues below this adVirendra Saxena, a local resident present at the spot, described how cries for help echoed from inside while rescuers searched for survivors.To speed up rescue operations, emergency teams broke a section of the boundary wall surrounding the premises.A fire department official said more than a dozen fire tenders were deployed, including a hydraulic platform vehicle used to reach the upper sections of the building.Officials also established a security perimeter around the area, cordoning off nearly half a kilometre around the affected building to facilitate rescue and firefighting operations. Traffic was halted, and no vehicles were allowed to enter the narrow lane in Sector D of Aliganj where the building is located.Story continues below this adAround 5.30 pm, the fire was brought under control. A search for survivors inside the building is still on.What caused it?A senior police official said preliminary findings suggest that the fire broke out on the second floor of the building before spreading rapidly. “From the information gathered so far, it appears that some of the victims, unable to find a safe way out, took shelter inside a washroom,” the officer said.Officials said the exact cause remains under investigation. Police are also piecing together the sequence of events that unfolded in the crucial minutes after the fire broke out.Animals rescuedThe fire also sparked concern for dozens of animals housed in the building’s pet clinic.Story continues below this adShubham Pratap Singh, associated with animal welfare organisation Jeev Aashraya, said volunteers rushed to the scene as soon as they learned that animals were trapped inside the burning building.“Two floors of the building housed pets… we immediately came to assist in the rescue and care of the animals,” Singh said.According to Singh, fire department personnel and rescuers had managed to bring several animals to safety. “So far, around 13 animals, including cats, dogs and parrots, have been rescued.”