Kathmandu —
In Himachal Pradesh’s Solan district, the aftermath of a massive fire at Arki Bazaar on Sunday night has claimed the lives of 10 people, after seven more charred human remains were recovered during search operations on Wednesday.
Authorities confirmed that among the deceased are nine Nepali nationals and an eight-year-old child from Bihar. The Solan Deputy Commissioner has ordered a magistrate-level investigation into the incident.
“The fire was so intense that no complete bodies have been recovered yet; only human remains are being retrieved,” said Solan Additional Deputy Commissioner Rahul Jain.
So far, two sets of remains were recovered on Monday, three on Tuesday, and seven on Wednesday. All remains have been sent for forensic testing, where DNA matching will be used for identification. DNA samples from the victims’ relatives have already been collected.
A joint team comprising the NDRF, SDRF, district administration, police, home guard, and fire department began search operations on Tuesday morning. The first remains were recovered at 9:45 a.m., and additional remains were found between 12:45 p.m. and 1:15 p.m.
To remove the debris, walls of structurally risky buildings were demolished, and the remaining rubble has been moved to a nearby playground, where search operations are set to resume on Thursday.
Solan Superintendent of Police Gaurav Singh said the missing include two men, two women, and five children, all of Nepali origin. “The remains are so badly burned that identification is impossible without DNA analysis, which is ongoing at the forensic laboratory,” he added.
An FIR has been registered against the building owner, Rajiv Gupta, under Section 287 of the Indian Penal Code, for negligence related to fire or flammable materials. Action is also being taken under relevant safety laws.
Arki SDM Nishant Tomar stated that commercial activities were being conducted on the ground and first floors, while Nepali and Bihari migrant workers were residing on the upper two floors of the building.
