Himachal: Human remains recovered from Solan building fire site; search on for six missing

Shimla, Jan 13 (PTI) Human remains and several gas cylinders were recovered on Tuesday as a 33-member National Disaster Response Force team and sniffer dogs joined the search for six Nepalese nationals missing after a massive fire in Himachal Pradesh's Solan district, officials said.

The fire, which broke out in a building at Arki Bazaar area on Sunday night, has claimed three lives, including that of an eight-year-old child.

Solan Superintendent of Police Gaurav Singh said the remains have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for DNA analysis to confirm their identities.

Police have registered a case of negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter under Section 287 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Legal action has also been initiated against the building owner under Essential Commodities Act. Further investigations are underway, Singh added.

The fire destroyed the four-storey building primarily occupied by migrant families and damaged several adjacent structures. While the child died while being taken to a hospital, charred remains of two others were recovered from the site earlier, the officials said.

Search operations have been hampered by large quantities of debris. Rescue teams are systematically removing rubble from the collapsed structures while ensuring the safety of personnel to prevent further cave-ins.

While district administration, police, State Disaster Response Force, Home Guard and fire department have been on site since the incident, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and dog squads were inducted on Tuesday morning to assist in the operation.

Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Arki, Nishant Tomar, said DNA samples have been collected from the family members of the missing individuals to confirm their identities. He added that the identification of the remains recovered so far would only be possible after the DNA reports are processed.

The building, owned by Rajiv Gupta, was constructed of mud and wood and was completely gutted. The ground and first floors housed commercial shops, while the upper two floors served as residential quarters.

Eyewitnesses reported hearing six to seven loud explosions, suspected to be cylinder blasts, which are believed to have intensified the blaze.

According to the administration, all three deceased individuals and the six missing individuals are Nepalese nationals hailing from Salyan in the Karnali province of Nepal. Five of the nine people are minors.

Solan Deputy Commissioner Manmohan Sharma has ordered a formal inquiry into the cause of the fire. PTI BPL AKY AKY