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Solan tragedy: Vikramaditya, Jai Ram visit Arki market, take stock of rescue operations
The PWD minister said that the state government stands with the victims in this hour of grief and is committed to providing them with all possible assistance
Himachal public works and urban development minister Vikramaditya Singh on Wednesday reviewed the relief and rescue operations at the fire incident site in Arki market of Himachal’s Solan district.
The PWD minister said that the state government stands with the victims in this hour of grief and is committed to providing them with all possible assistance.
The blaze broke out around 2.45am on Monday in a four-storey building near UCO bank. According to police, the building, constructed of wood and mud, was being used for commercial as well as residential purposes. The ground and first floors were used as shops, while the third and fourth floors were occupied by migrant families from Bihar and Nepal.
The minister also interacted with the local administration and rescue teams and obtained detailed information about the incident and the relief and rescue operations.
While three people, including an 8-year-old boy, were killed in the incident, seven Nepalese-origin persons still remain untraced.
Solan superintendent of police Gaurav Singh said, “Some remains were also recovered on Wednesday which have been sent for DNA analysis. The rescue and search operation will continue on Thursday as well.”
Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur also visited the site and met the affected families. Local BJP MP Suresh Kashyap was also present. Both leaders inspected the area and heard the grievances of local traders and members of the public.
Jai Ram Thakur questioned why there were an insufficient number of fire tenders at the time of the incident and why the blaze could not be brought under control in time, leading to such a heavy loss of life. He also stressed that the government must put in place stringent safety standards and strengthen infrastructure to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future.
