(1) Fire in Lucknow building: at least 14 killedAt least 14 were killed in a fire that broke out in a three-storey building in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh on Monday last week (June 22, 2026). The building housed a pet shop and clinic, an IT office, a gaming centre and a coaching centre on its three floors. Later, it was found that the building did not have authorisation to operate as a commercial building, but had a residential building permit.A Special Investigative Team formed to probe the incident also found that the building owners did not have proper no-objection certificates for fire safety. Witness accounts after the fire that there was no emergency exits, and only one staircase that functioned as both the entry and exit points. This staircase had quickly filled with smoke, which became fatal to the people stuck inside.In India, the number of fires reported was over 5,000 in 2024. In this, fires at commercial buildings form a small part. However, the pace of this decrease varies across building types.The number of fires reported have come down from 2014, but the pace of decline varies by building type. The average rate of decline of fires between 2020 and 2024 for all fire incidents is 11.4%, while for residential building fires, it is 10.6% and for commercial buildings, the rate of decline is just 0.38%. However, it is to be noted that data from the National Crime Records Bureau does not carry explicit information about unauthorised conversion of buildings to commercial operations.(2) Venezuela earthquake kills at least 1400At least 1,400 people were killed after two earthquakes of magnitudes 7.5 and 7.2 struck near Venezuela’s coast on <> last week, two of the most severe earthquakes the country has seen in the past century. The quakes were called a ‘doublet’, differing from aftershocks in the sense that both earthquakes were similarly strong, unlike aftershocks which are usually less severe than the main quake.The quakes struck an area near the country’s capital Caracas, one of the country’s most populated areas.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer resigns, fire in Lucknow building, Venezuela hit by two earthquakes, and more: The week in 5 charts
Last week, a fire in a commercial building in Lucknow killed at least 14 people, the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer resigned, and deadly earthquakes rocked Venezuela killing at least 1,400 people. Here are the previous week’s developments in charts and graphics.
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