In Pictures: Lucknow slum fire guts 300 shanties, two sisters found dead

A massive fire broke out in a slum in Lucknow’s Vikas Nagar on Wednesday evening, quickly spreading through closely packed shanties and triggering panic among residents (Source: Photo by Vishal Srivastava)

Thick plumes of black smoke rose from the area and were visible from several kilometres away as residents rushed to safer places while trying to salvage their belongings (Source: Photo by Vishal Srivastava)

The blaze rapidly engulfed more than 300 shanties, with several small explosions reported as LPG cylinders caught fire, worsening the situation (Source: Photo by Vishal Srivastava)

Firefighting teams rushed to the spot, with 20 fire tenders and over 120 personnel deployed to contain the inferno and prevent it from spreading to nearby localities (Source: Photo by Vishal Srivastava)

Officials said the presence of dozens of LPG cylinders in the slum complicated operations, as repeated explosions made it difficult for teams to enter the affected area (Source: Photo by Vishal Srivastava)

Police personnel also worked to ensure that residents were safely evacuated from the area (Source: Photo by Vishal Srivastava)

Hours after the fire was brought under control, firefighters recovered the charred bodies of two young sisters from the debris on Thursday morning (Source: Photo by Vishal Srivastava)

The deceased were identified as two-year-old Shruti and her two-month-old sister, daughters of a labourer who had been living in the slum for the past few years (Source: Photo by Vishal Srivastava)

Authorities said no other fatalities were reported, while efforts were underway to assess the extent of damage and trace missing persons separated during the chaos (Source: Photo by Vishal Srivastava)

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed officials to expedite relief and rehabilitation measures, while Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak visited the affected area and interacted with residents and officials (Source: Photo by Vishal Srivastava)