Lucknow: Two separate fire incidents in the city on Friday were swiftly brought under control with no casualties, though they triggered panic and revived concerns over fire safety.In the first incident, a blaze broke out around 5am inside the Lok Bandhu Hospital campus in Aashiana after a suspected short circuit ignited the false ceiling in the waiting area of Asha Jyoti Kendra. Flames spread through the ceiling while dense smoke engulfed parts of the building, causing breathing difficulties for security staff.Hospital employees rushed in with fire extinguishers and managed to douse the flames in about 30 minutes. Senior officials were informed. The episode comes barely a year after a major fire on April 14, 2025, near the ICU of the hospital forced evacuation of around 200 patients and claimed one life. Though a Rs 3-crore fire safety upgrade, including sprinkler systems and fire-resistant ceilings, was announced then, work remains incomplete.In another incident, a fire broke out in an air conditioner unit inside a locked shop at Singar Mahal in Aminabad’s Garbarjhala around 5.40am. Fire tenders from Hazratganj and Aminabad rushed to the spot, broke open the shutter and extinguished the flames before they could spread.Officials said the shop, owned by Siddiqui Khan, suffered limited damage due to the prompt response. No injuries were reported in either incident, fire officials said.
