LUCKNOW: “Mujhe jaane do apne bete ke paas (Let me go to my son),” screamed a grief-stricken mother as she struggled to break free while relatives of those trapped rushed to the three-storey commercial complex in Lucknow’s Aliganj after receiving frantic phone calls from inside the building engulfed in flames.Outside the burning structure on Usha Mehta Marg, anguished families watched helplessly as thick black smoke and flames swallowed the animation centre, where 15 people, most of them students, lost their lives on Monday afternoon, news agency PTI reported.The tragedy unfolded as students who had come to learn animation during their summer vacation found themselves trapped inside the building after the fire broke out.As per the PTI report, families rushed to the spot after receiving distress calls from their loved ones, desperately waiting for any sign of survival.Even before fire tenders reached the spot, local residents became the first responders. Risking their own lives, they smashed the building’s glass panes with whatever they could find, hoping to release the choking smoke and help those trapped inside.Eyewitnesses said several people tried to rescue the students after seeing them stranded inside the building.One of the most disturbing moments captured on camera showed a student jumping from an upper floor in a desperate attempt to escape the flames. People standing below quickly spread a mattress-like object to cushion the fall, after which locals rushed the student for medical assistance.As rescue operations continued, scenes of panic and helplessness unfolded outside the building. Parents and relatives pleaded with police personnel to allow them to enter the premises.Dhiraj Mehra reached the spot after receiving a frantic call from his colleague, Aditya Srivastava, a 3D artist working at the gaming zone on the third floor.“He called me saying ‘bacha lo’ (save me), and I rushed to the site,” Mehra told PTI.Among those who joined the rescue operation was Lance Naik Chhabi Ram, posted in Agra and currently attached with the Lucknow headquarters, who happened to be passing by when he noticed the blaze.Speaking to PTI, Ram said his professional experience led officials to involve him in the rescue work. He said he helped in the relief operation and saw more than a dozen bodies being brought out from the building, while several people were also rescued alive.As firefighters battled the flames, residents of nearby buildings also stepped forward to help. People living behind the affected structure supplied water bottles to firefighters involved in the rescue operation.Visuals from the spot showed firefighting teams wearing safety gear climbing the building using ladders from outside. Another team attempted to enter from the adjoining building of similar height by creating an access point from the upper side, while other teams continued efforts to douse the flames.At the adjoining building, firefighters created two openings to enter the affected structure from the upper floors as the search-and-rescue operation continued from inside.The fire also affected the ground floor of the building, where Drool, a pet shop and clinic, was located. The premises were completely gutted, raising fears that several animals inside may not have survived.Rescue personnel were seen carrying out soot-covered cats and other animals from the charred premises. While some animals were injured, others were covered in ash, leaving many at the spot visibly shaken.Animal rights activist Kiran Shukla expressed concern that several animals housed at the clinic may have died in the blaze. She feared around half a dozen animals could have perished, although there was no official confirmation till late Monday evening.Eyewitness Anurag Pandit, a civil services aspirant, said he could only pray for the safety of those trapped inside.“I am praying they are alive,” he said.A total of 19 fire tenders, multiple firefighting teams, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and police personnel began the rescue operation around 3 pm.Santosh Kumar Tripathi from the fire department told PTI that the rescue and firefighting operation ended around 6 pm.After the rescue operation ended, the tragedy shifted from the fire site to hospitals and the mortuary, where families faced the grim reality of the incident.The bodies of the victims were shifted from the trauma centre at King George’s Medical University (KGMU) to the post-mortem house for identification and autopsy procedures. Most of those who lost their lives were young adults, KGMU PRO K K Singh said.Additional police personnel were deployed at KGMU and the post-mortem house to manage the situation and assist grieving families.At the mortuary, relatives of those associated with the centre arrived searching for their loved ones. Many had first rushed to KGMU hoping to find them among the injured, only to be directed to the post-mortem facility.With tearful faces and photographs of their loved ones on mobile phones, family members moved from one official to another, desperately seeking confirmation about the fate of those who had entered the building but never returned.Deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak, who reached the incident site and supervised the relief and rescue operations, was visibly shaken by the tragedy.A teary-eyed Pathak told reporters that he had seen 14 bodies being brought out from the building.“These were young boys and girls, our children,” he said.Later, around 6. 15pm, chief minister Yogi Adityanath, who cut short his visit to Aligarh and returned to the state capital, visited the site of the incident in Aliganj and inspected the gutted building.He later went to KGMU and enquired about the health of the injured.The chief minister assured the families of the victims that no official found responsible for the tragedy would be spared.(With inputs from PTI)