The Aryavarth Express
Solan/Shimla: A major fire broke out near the old bus stand in Arki town of Himachal Pradesh’s Solan district early Sunday morning, claiming the life of an eight-year-old child and triggering panic in the area. The blaze erupted near the UCO Bank building, with fears that several people were trapped inside the affected premises.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Solan, Gaurav Singh, confirmed that police and fire brigade teams were rushed to the spot immediately. Rescue operations were carried out with the support of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). Arki MLA Sanjay Awasthi said that eight to nine people were initially feared trapped in the fire. The deceased child reportedly belonged to a family of migrant labourers. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, and rescue operations continued till the last reports.
In a separate incident earlier this week, a massive fire broke out at the historic royal palace of the erstwhile Kyonthal princely state in Junga near Shimla, causing extensive damage to the nearly 800-year-old heritage structure. The blaze destroyed invaluable historical and religious property, though no casualties were reported.
According to members of the Kyonthal royal family, the fire is believed to have originated near the sacred installation of Devta Maharaj Deo Junga within the palace complex and quickly spread through the ancient wooden structure. Built during the reign of Raja Khushvakram Sen, the palace was largely made of timber and had remained unoccupied for years due to its dilapidated condition.
Royal family member Vijay Jyoti Sen said that despite the palace being vacant, priceless religious assets, including gold and silver ornaments worth crores of rupees, were stored there and were completely destroyed in the fire.
Local residents noticed thick smoke around 1:00 pm and alerted the Junga police outpost. Fire tenders from Chhota Shimla, Mall Road, and Tilak Nagar were deployed. Station Fire Officer Mansaram said four fire vehicles and around 20 fire personnel from three stations were involved in controlling the blaze, with some areas still smouldering later.
Shimla SP Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi confirmed there was no loss of life and said a Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team has been called in to ascertain the cause of the fire. Police have registered a case, while the revenue department and local administration have begun assessing the losses.
