India has witnessed several devastating fire tragedies over the decades, leading to significant loss of life and serious casualties, most often due to appalling safety lapses, which suggests they were incidents of inadvertent arson.

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Anaj Mandi Factory Fire

In December 2019, a deadly fire ripped through an illegal manufacturing unit in Delhi's Anaj Mandi area, claiming 43 lives.

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Puttingal Temple Blaze

In April 2016, a fireworks display at the Puttingal temple in Kollam, Kerala, ended in tragedy when stray sparks ignited a large stockpile of firecrackers.

The resulting explosion and fire caused the deaths of at least 111 lives and injured hundreds more. Thousands of devotees had gathered to celebrate the beginning of the Hindu New Year when the disaster unfolded.

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Kumbakonam School Inferno

In July 2004, a catastrophic fire engulfed a primary school in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, took away the lives of some 94 children.

The blaze, began in the school's kitchen where meals were being cooked over a wood-fired stove. Flames rapidly spread to the thatched roof, trapping huge pupils inside the building.

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Baripada Congregation Tragedy

In 1997, a terrible fire spread through a religious gathering in Baripada, Odisha, resulting in the deaths of nearly 180 people.

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Uphaar Cinema Tragedy

In South Delhi, on June 13 1997, 60 lives were lost and many were left severely injured when a blaze erupted around 5 pm while the 1,053-seat theatre was packed with moviegoers, turning an ordinary evening into one of the country's deadliest disasters.

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Dabwali Fire Disaster

On December 23, 1995, a devastating blaze tore through the Rajiv marriage palace in Dabwali, Haryana, during a crowded school function. More than 500 people, many of them children, lost their lives, while over 300 others suffered injuries.

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Venus Circus Tragedy

February 7, 1981, a fire started up and surged through the Venus Circus near Bengaluru's City railway station, killing 92 and injuring around 300 people. Among those who died were 56 children who came for the show.

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Tuticorin Touring Cinema Fire

There was yet another theatre fire several years before the Uphaar tragedy. On July 29, 1979, a touring cinema in Lourdammalpuram near Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu, saw a ghastly fire. Deaths: 78, including 32 children.

Most victims perished at the scene while several others later died from their injuries in hospital. The disaster also left 88 people wounded.

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Madurai School Tragedy

On April 4, 1964, an awful fire struck the Saraswathi Vidyasala higher elementary school in Maninagaram, Madurai, taking away 36, including 35 schoolgirls. The incident also left 139 others seriously injured.

A regular school day became a never-to-be-forgotten, heartbreaking school disaster.