Within minutes, classrooms turned into smoke-filled chambers and corridors into escape routes. A major fire at a coaching centre in Lucknow's Aliganj area on Monday triggered scenes of panic and a large-scale rescue effort, leaving at least 14 people dead and several others injured. PICS/PTI

Noida International Airport welcomed its first IndiGo flight from Lucknow, marking the start of operations at the Jewar airport. The inaugural flight carried 172 local villagers whose land was acquired for the project, while officials hailed the airport as a major boost to Delhi NCR connectivity (Pics/PTI)