An eight-year-old boy was killed and two others sustained burn injuries after a massive fire engulfed a wooden building in the Arki subdivision of Himachal Pradesh’s Solan district early on Monday, officials said.
The fire broke out around 2.45 am near the old bus stand and spread rapidly through the ageing wooden structure, gutting nearly 15 shops and trapping occupants inside. The deceased child, identified as Priyansh, belonged to a migrant family from Bihar residing in the building.
Solan Superintendent of Police Gaurav Singh said teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were deployed along with fire tenders from Arki, Shimla and nearby industrial units to control the blaze.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed grief over the loss of life and ordered a probe into the incident, directing officials to provide immediate assistance to the bereaved family.
While the fire has been brought under control, rescue operations are ongoing to trace anyone missing.
