Solan Fire Tragedy: At least one child has died and nine others are feared trapped after a massive fire broke out in the old bus stand area of Arki in Himachal Pradeshs Solan district during the early hours of Monday.
All those missing are Nepali-origin migrant labourers, officials said.
According to local authorities, the blaze erupted between 2 and 2:30 am, rapidly spreading through a cluster of shops and adjoining structures, many of them wooden. The fire triggered an immediate rescue operation involving fire services, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Home Guards and the local administration.
Arki Tehsildar Vipin Kumar said officials received information about the incident between 2:30 and 3 am, following which emergency teams were rushed to the spot. Around 10 to 15 shops were gutted. Rescue teams were deployed during the night itself. One child was pulled out and taken to hospital, but he later succumbed to his injuries, he said.
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Kumar added that nine people remain trapped, all migrant labourers of Nepali origin. Since Arki lacks a fully equipped fire station, fire tenders were called in from Baluganj in Shimla, while additional support came from the Ambuja Cement Factory, which sent its fire engines to assist in dousing the flames.
Officials said around 11 to 12 shops were affected, with JCB machines and multiple SDRF teams deployed to clear debris and control the fire. The fire has been brought under control, but two to three buildings have been severely damaged. The structures were mostly wooden storage units, which allowed the flames to spread quickly. Rescue and relief operations are still underway, and assessments of loss are in progress, Kumar said.
Fire officials confirmed that the blaze was largely contained by early morning, though search operations continue. Local fire officer RK Sharma said water was sprayed using around 10 vehicles, with nearly six fire tenders deployed. By about 6:30 am, the fire was under control. Nine people of Nepali origin are still reported missing, he said.
Sharma added that among the trapped are five children and four adults, including two couples. Given the extent of the collapse and the intensity of the fire, the chances of survival appear low, he said.
Relatives of the missing labourers expressed anguish as rescue efforts continued. Mohan Lal, a migrant worker from Nepal, said his elder brothers family of four is missing, along with five members of his nephews family. I wasnt inside the room at that time. A neighbour alerted me about the fire. By the time we reached, it had already spread. We were told gas cylinders may have exploded, he said.
Another relative, Bhola Kumar from Bihar, said four members of his family were initially rescued. A small boy was taken out but later went back to sleep. When I took him to the hospital, he was declared dead. He was about six years old, he said.
Shopkeepers in the area said the fire left behind widespread devastation. One affected trader said his shop was completely gutted, with all goods destroyed. Nearby shops have also been reduced to ashes. One childs body has been recovered, but the exact cause of death is yet to be confirmed, he said.
Rescue and search operations are continuing as authorities work to clear debris and locate the missing. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.