CHANDIGARH: The National Disaster Response Force and dog squad have launched search operations to locate six Nepali nationals feared buried under debris after a massive fire razed Arki Bazaar in Solan district of Himachal Pradesh on Sunday. Three persons, including an eight-year-old child, have already been confirmed dead.
According to the district administration, all three deceased individuals and the six missing individuals are Nepalese nationals hailing from Salyan in the Karnali province of Nepal of these five of the nine people are minors.
Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Arki Nishant Tomar said that DNA samples have been collected from family members of the missing individuals to confirm their identities.
Search and rescue operations have been hampered due to large quantities of debris at the site.
As the teams of the district administration, police, State Disaster Response Force, Home Guard and fire department have been on site since the incident happened late Monday night; the National Disaster Response Force and dog squads were inducted on Tuesday morning to assist the operation.
The four-storey building, constructed of mud and wood, was primarily occupied by migrant families. The ground and first floors housed commercial shops, while the upper two floors served as residential quarters. Several adjacent structures were also damaged in the blaze.
Solan Deputy Commissioner Manmohan Sharma has ordered a formal inquiry into the cause of the fire.
A case of negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter under Section 287 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita has been registered by the police.