Three More Human Remains Found in Solan Market Fire Tragedy
Rescue teams discovered three additional human remains on Tuesday during search operations at Arki market in Solan district. A 30-member National Disaster Response Force team from Slapper in Mandi district joined the effort alongside a sniffer dog squad. The teams worked tirelessly to comb through the debris of the devastating fire.
Death Toll Climbs to Ten Victims
Rahul Jain, the additional deputy commissioner of Solan, confirmed the grim update. He stated that ten people have now lost their lives in the fire. The victims include nine nationals from Nepal and an eight-year-old child from Bihar.
Jain explained the challenging nature of the recovery operation. "So far, we did not recover any complete body. Only human remains are being found, as this was an extremely severe fire", he said. He added that rescue teams pulled out one injured child on Monday. That child later died in the hospital.
Recovery Efforts and Forensic Process
The rescue teams recovered two human remains on Monday. They found three more on Tuesday. A forensics team collected all the remains. They will store them for possible DNA matching at a later stage.
A joint search operation will resume on Wednesday morning. It involves multiple agencies working together. The teams include:
- National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)
- State Disaster Response Force (SDRF)
- District administration officials
- Local police personnel
- Home guards
- Fire department teams
Magisterial Inquiry Ordered and Legal Actions
The Solan deputy commissioner ordered a magisterial inquiry into the complete incident on Monday. Authorities are taking several legal steps in response to the tragedy.
Nishant Tomar, the SDM of Arki, provided details about the identification process. He said DNA samples were collected from family members of the deceased persons. Identification of the recovered remains will only be possible after DNA results come in.
The police registered a First Information Report under Section 287 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. This section deals with negligent conduct concerning fire or combustible matter. SP Gaurav Singh confirmed the legal action.
Authorities are also taking legal action against the building owner, Rajeev Gupta. They are proceeding under the Essential Commodities Act. At least six LPG cylinders stored in the building exploded during the blaze. The owner used the ground and first floor for commercial purposes. He rented out the top two floors to migrant labourers from Nepal and Bihar.
Search Operation Challenges
The search operation faced significant obstacles on Monday. Encroachments in the carriageway at the site created problems. Search teams could not move JCB earth excavator machines smoothly due to these obstructions. This slowed down the recovery efforts considerably.
The four-storey old wooden building suffered extensive damage in the fire. The explosion of the LPG cylinders intensified the blaze. The combined efforts of multiple agencies continue as they work to complete the search and recovery mission.
