Himachal Pradesh Fire Tragedy: 8 Year Old Killed in Blaze Near Arki Old Bus Stand
Rescue operations underway as fire engulfs UCO Bank area; several feared trapped
Himachal, Jan 12 : A major fire broke out early Sunday morning near the UCO Bank building at the old bus stand in Arki town, Solan district, Himachal Pradesh, triggering panic among locals. Tragically, an eight-year-old child lost his life in the blaze, while several others were feared trapped inside the affected premises.
Superintendent of Police, Solan district, Gaurav Singh confirmed that police and fire brigade teams were rushed to the spot immediately. “Rescue operations are ongoing, and NDRF and SDRF teams have also been deployed to assist,” he said.
Arki MLA Sanjay Awasthi added that eight to nine people were feared trapped and confirmed that the deceased child belonged to a family of migrant labourers. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, and rescue efforts continued at the time of reporting.
Historic Junga Palace Fire Earlier This Week
This comes just days after a massive fire at the nearly 800-year-old royal palace of the erstwhile Kyonthal princely state in Junga near Shimla, which destroyed priceless historical and religious artifacts. The blaze reportedly began near the sacred installation of Devta Maharaj Deo Junga and quickly consumed the wooden structure.
Vijay Jyoti Sen, a member of the royal family, said, “The palace housed gold and silver ornaments and other valuables worth crores of rupees. Everything has been reduced to ashes. Nothing could be saved as the entire old structure was engulfed.”
Fire tenders from Chhota Shimla, Mall Road Shimla, and Tilak Nagar were dispatched, with around 20 personnel engaged in controlling the blaze. Shimla police confirmed that no casualties occurred in this incident. A Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team has been called in to investigate the cause, and the administration is assessing fire-related losses.
