Amid a devastating commercial building fire in Lucknow’s Aliganj area, emergency responders and animal rights activists successfully pulled more than 30 trapped pets, including dogs, cats and puppies to safety.
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Lucknow Fire (PTI image)
Lucknow Fire Rescue: In a heroic effort amidst tragedy, local residents and animal activists successfully rescued more than 30 trapped dogs and cats from a pet facility during a massive fire at a three-storey commercial complex in the Aliganj area on Monday afternoon. While the devastating blaze tragically claimed the lives of at least 15 people and left several others injured, mostly at an animation center on the upper floor, the rescue operation on the ground floor and basement became a critical race against time to save the trapped animals.
Working alongside emergency responders, volunteers braved the thick smoke to safely extricate the helpless pets, many of which were already rescue animals housed at the facility.
Animal rights activist Kiran Shukla, who reached the spot soon after the fire broke out, told PTI that around 20 to 22 dogs and puppies and nearly a dozen cats and kittens were present inside the pet shop and clinic when the blaze erupted.
“We immediately took the dogs and puppies out from the ground floor and moved them to the other side of the road where they were kept in shade. However, by the time we could reach the basement, the fire had intensified and it was not possible to enter from the front side,” she said.
Shukla said the biggest relief came around 7 pm when around seven cats were found alive inside the basement during the rescue operation and were immediately taken out and sent for treatment.
“The cats were drenched due to the water being sprayed by firefighters during the rescue operation. They were traumatised and frightened, but they were alive,” she said. She, however, expressed concern that four to five cats which were inside the basement had not been traced and feared they may have died in the fire.
Shukla said she and local residents, including Sunita Pandey, work for animal rights and protection, especially helping female animals.
“We had been bringing stray animals to this pet shop and clinic for treatment, so we had been visiting this place for a long time. By coincidence, I was passing through the nearby area when I saw heavy smoke and immediately suspected that Drools Pet Shop and Clinic could be nearby,” she said.
(With inputs from agencies)
