Shimla, Jan. 12 -- A massive fire broke out in the market area of Arki under the Solan district of Himachal late Sunday night, leaving an eight-year-old girl dead and eight persons reported missing, triggering panic and anxiety among residents.
The missing include two women, two men, and four children, raising fears of a heavy casualty toll.
According to eyewitnesses, the fire erupted around midnight in a two-storey residential-cum-commercial building located in the congested market area.
The ground floor of the building housed several shops, while the upper floor was being used as residential accommodation by labourers from Nepal and Bihar.
The flames spread rapidly, engulfing nearby shops and adjoining structures within a short span o...