Search for Loved Ones Continues After Devastating Market Fire in Arki
A night of horror has left a community in shock and mourning. A devastating fire tore through the congested market area of Arki late Sunday night, claiming the life of a young girl and leaving eight others—four of them children—missing. As dawn broke, families awaited news, their hearts heavy with fear.
The fire broke out around midnight in a two-storey building that housed shops on the ground floor and families of migrant labourers upstairs. The night’s calm was shattered by a series of massive explosions as LPG cylinders stored in the building and nearby shops ignited one after another. The blasts shook the neighbourhood, waking residents who fled into the dark, smoke-filled streets for safety.
Neighbours described the terrifying scene as the flames, fuelled by closely-packed shops, spread uncontrollably, consuming everything in their path.
Firefighters rushed to the scene and battled the inferno through the night, finally bringing it under control by early morning. But the cost was already too high. Multiple shops were completely gutted, their contents—livelihoods built over years—reduced to ashes.
The search for loved ones is now a desperate race against time. Rescue workers, sifting carefully through smouldering debris, have recovered the body of an eight-year-old girl. The focus remains on finding the eight missing individuals: two women, two men, and four children, whose families cling to hope amid the devastation.
Local MLA Sanjay Awasthi, who visited the burned-out market, assured residents that rescue and relief efforts are the top priority and that affected families will receive all possible support. The exact cause of the fire is still unknown.
Today, the Arki market stands charred and silent, a stark reminder of the fragility of life and community. As rescue operations continue, a town waits, prays, and prepares to heal.
