LUCKNOW, June 24 -- For those who survived Monday's deadly fire in Aliganj, escape came through a combination of instinct, chance and split-second decisions. While many remained trapped inside the smoke-filled building, a handful of young employees managed to find a way out through the staircase, broken windows and even cables hanging outside the structure. Their accounts suggest that thick smoke, rather than flames, was the first sign of danger for many working on the upper floors. Harshit, who worked at 3D animation centre in 'Head Hopper Studios' operating in the building, said people initially had little idea of the scale of the fire unfolding below them. "We were not students. We worked there and handled animation and gaming projects for different clients," he said. According to him, the fire broke out sometime between 2.30 pm and 3 pm. By the time employees on the upper floors became aware of the situation, smoke had already started spreading through the building. Harshit said he was among the first from his office to escape through the staircase, along with two or three others. "When I started moving towards the stairs, there were no visible flames where we were. But the smoke had already spread. Visibility was poor and breathing had become difficult," he recalled. He alleged that the fire originated on the first floor, where a pet store was operating. According to him, employees on that floor began evacuating soon after the fire broke out. "The people on the first floor had already started coming out. It was only later that those on the upper floors came to know about the fire. By then, thick black smoke had begun rising upwards. As the smoke intensified, navigating the building became increasingly difficult. Within minutes, the smoke became so dense that visibility was almost gone," he said. For others trapped inside, the staircase was no longer an option. Abhishek, another survivor, said he and several others were forced to break a window to escape. "The fire had started on a lower floor. We broke a window and climbed down to save ourselves. We also managed to pull out four or five other people. We still do not know how the fire started," he said. According to him, around 15 to 18 people were present in that section of the building at the time. Seven or eight people jumped from the building to save their lives. One of the most dramatic escapes was made by Asif, whose video climbing out of a window and descending through cables hanging along the exterior of the building later went viral on social media. With smoke engulfing the premises and conventional exits blocked, Asif used the cables to reach safety. "I escaped through the cables hanging beside the building. The heat inside was intense. Metal portions of the building had become extremely hot. My hands were burnt while trying to get down," he said. The escape left him with burn injuries on his hands. The survivors accounts point to how rapidly conditions inside the building deteriorated. Several of those who escaped said that by the time many occupants realised the seriousness of the situation, thick smoke had already consumed escape routes and reduced visibility to near zero....