Arki massive fire: 10 feared burned alive, search continues for missing people

January 13, 2026

Five buildings and eight shops were gutted in a massive fire that broke out late Sunday night in Ward Number 6 of Arki Nagar Panchayat in Solan district of Himachal Pradesh. Ten people are feared to have been burned alive in the fire. The body of a 10-year-old boy has been recovered. The charred remains of five people have been found, but their identities have not yet been established.

Four people are still missing. Nine of the victims are from Nepal and one child is from Bihar. These include two couples and their five children. NDRF and administrative teams are continuously clearing the debris with JCBs and searching for the missing people. A dog squad is also assisting in the search operation. It is reported that the fire first broke out on the upper floor of a five-story building, and then spread to five adjacent buildings.

Eight shops were also destroyed in the fire. These included two clothing stores, a general store, a watch shop, two shoe shops, a bag shop, and a tailor’s shop. The flames reached the UCO Bank branch, but it did not suffer significant damage. Four fire department teams arrived at the scene around 4:30 AM after receiving the information. It took about nine hours to bring the fire under control. The fire was finally extinguished around 1:30 PM.

Cause of the fire
According to reports, the fire broke out around 3:00 AM on Sunday night. It is suspected that a family of Nepalese origin, who lived on the third floor of the building, had left a brazier burning inside their room. The building was made of wood, and the fire, which started from the brazier, quickly spread. People became aware of the fire when cylinders started exploding one after another. There were nine consecutive explosions.

The fire spread from one building to another. A 10-year-old boy from Bihar, who was sleeping in a clothing shop on the third floor of one of the buildings, was also caught in the fire. He was rescued around 6:15 AM and taken to the hospital, where doctors declared him dead. Meanwhile, upon receiving the information, officials and employees of the Revenue Department, along with fire tenders from Arki Fire Station, Banlagi, Baluganj (Shimla), and Ambuja Cement, and local residents, reached the spot and brought the fire under control. During the operation, the badly burned remains of two people were recovered.

Their identities could not be established. On Tuesday morning, three more sets of remains were found, which also remain unidentified. Revenue officer Vipin Verma said that nine families of Nepalese origin lived in the building, and seven of them were safely evacuated. Priyanshu, of Bihari origin, died at the hospital during treatment. The deceased’s family was given Rs. 25,000 each as immediate relief.