3 min readLucknowJun 23, 2026 05:06 AM IST
First published on: Jun 22, 2026 at 07:21 PM IST
At the mortuary of King George’s Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow, the grief was palpable as parents and relatives replayed the final phone calls from their children and siblings — trapped inside a burning building in Aliganj, crying out for help that never came.
Fifteen people, most of whom were employees of Head Hopper Studios, a company involved in 3D art production and game development on the second floor, were killed in the blaze that tore through a three-storey building on Monday afternoon.
Among those killed was Sukhmani Singh (23), a game designer at the company. His father, Prabhjot Singh, said his son called him around 2 pm, pleading for help. “‘Papa mujhe bacha lo (Papa, please save me)’, he cried. He told us there was no space to get out,” the father said.
Fourteen victims have been identified so far: Joyneel, Shahjan, Mohammad Abdul, Sanyam, Sagar, Neelesh, Aditya, Anamika, Mohammad Ammar, Suraj Shah, Bhavishya, Sukhmani, Jyoti, Sumalya, and Anucha. (Express photo by- Vishal Srivastav)
Another victim, Joyneel Chakravorty (27), also worked at the centre. His relative, Vishwanath Sarkar, said, “Joyneel called his aunt around 2 pm in a state of panic. ‘Chachi, hum phans gaye hain, kisi tarah bachao (Aunt, we’re trapped, please save us somehow),’ he told her.”
The relatives said they reached the spot around 3 pm and believe that several lives could have been saved had the decision to break the wall to the burning building from the adjacent terrace been taken earlier. “They broke the wall in front of us. We were still on the call with Joyneel at the time,” Vishwanath said.
Kalpana Srivastava, mother of 25-year-old victim Aditya Srivastava, said she saw young men and women trying to escape the building using a pipe on the outside.
“My son’s friends jumped, but he just could not come out,” she said. “Our last conversation with him was around 1 pm.”
This before-and-after photo combination displays the severe extent of the structural damage. (PTI)
She said Aditya started working at the animation centre about a month and a half ago for a salary of Rs 9,000. Questioning how the establishment was allowed to operate, she said, “I just want to ask how a place like this was given a licence to function without proper ventilation and exits.”
Aditya’s father is a lawyer; his family hails from neighbouring Sitapur district.
Another victim, Suraj Singh, worked at the same centre and lived with Joyneel. Vishwanath said Suraj’s parents could not be contacted as their phones were switched off.
KGMU Vice-Chancellor Sonia Nityanand told The Indian Express that 24 people were brought to the hospital, of whom 15 were declared dead on arrival. “There were no injury marks on the bodies… all of them suffocated to death. The autopsies are being conducted.”
Of the seven injured, five were discharged after treatment, while two — a man and a woman — remain hospitalised with serious injuries, officials said.
The man suffered multiple fractures after jumping from the building in an attempt to escape the flames, according to hospital sources.
Sahiban, Sukhmani brother (Express Photo) 
Fourteen victims have been identified so far: Joyneel, Shahjan, Mohammad Abdul, Sanyam, Sagar, Neelesh, Aditya, Anamika, Mohammad Ammar, Suraj Shah, Bhavishya, Sukhmani, Jyoti, Sumalya, and Anucha. (Express photo by- Vishal Srivastav)
This before-and-after photo combination displays the severe extent of the structural damage. (PTI)
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