A fire broke out in a four-floor hotel in the city's commercial centre Hazaratganj on Monday morning, killing two people and injuring at least seven, police said.

Rescue teams were inspecting the premises of the Levana Suites on Madan Mohan Malviya Marg in Hazratganj to check if someone had been trapped, officials said. The fire, which led to panic in the area, broke out at about 7 am.

Crowds gathered as evacuation efforts got underway. Fire teams had a tough time dousing the flames after breaking glass panes.

"Fire teams are on the job and many people were taken out of the hotel and have been rushed to the hospital," District Magistrate Suryapal Gangwar told reporters.

"According to the hotel owner, there are 30 rooms in the building and 18 were occupied at the time of the incident. There were 35-40 people there and some had left the hotel in the morning," he said.

He said the fire could have been caused by a short circuit and the exact cause is being ascertained.

"The hotel owner told us that there is a banquet on the first floor where something happened. The hotel also has a rooftop bar," Gangwar said.

About two dozen people were rushed to Shyama Prasad Mukherjee hospital, officials said. Of these, two people died and seven are undergoing treatment. The others were released.

The injured included fireman Chandresh Yadav, who sustained burn injuries while rescuing people.

Lucknow MP and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh took cognisance of the incident.

"I came to know about the tragic incident of a fire in a hotel in Lucknow. I have inquired about the situation from the local administration. Relief and rescue operations are on. My office is in constant touch with the local administration. I pray to God for the speedy recovery of those injured in the incident," Singh said in a tweet.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath went to the hospital and inquired about the health of the injured. He also directed officials to provide the best possible treatment to the injured.

Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak added that a probe has been ordered into the incident and strict action will be taken against the guilty. The minister added that free treatment will be provided to the injured.

"We will also see that there is no recurrence of such incidents. And for this, directives will be issued for the entire state," he said.

Director (Information) Shishir Singh said Commissioner Lucknow division and police commissioner Lucknow will jointly probe the incident.