Screams stopped after explosions: Relatives speak on deadly gas blast
According to their relatives, Manbahadur BK and Prem BK, the families had migrated to Himachal Pradesh around two and a half years ago due to financial hardships.
KATHMANDU: A devastating gas cylinder explosion during a fire at a shop in Arki, Solan district, Himachal Pradesh, on Sunday night claimed the lives of nine Nepali laborers from Salyan’s Siddhakumakh Rural Municipality-2, Takura.
The victims included Dhanbahadur BK (33), his wife Kavita (32), their children Radha (16), Renuka (10), and Rajan (22 months), as well as Kashiram BK (47), his wife Tika (32), and their children Anu (12) and Kiran (7).
According to their relatives, Manbahadur BK and Prem BK, the families had migrated to Himachal Pradesh around two and a half years ago due to financial hardships.
They were working as daily laborers in the Arki market and were staying in nearby homes.
“We all worked together from morning until evening. After returning home around 7 PM, exhausted, we quickly ate and went to sleep. Around 1 AM, chaos erupted. People were screaming that the house was on fire,” recounted Prem BK.
He described the horrifying scene: “When we rushed outside, we saw fire spreading near the stairs leading to the room where my brothers’ families were sleeping. The ground floor of the house had a shop stocked with gas cylinders and various goods. People inside were screaming for help. Some locals staying in an adjacent room escaped through another stairway, but my brothers’ families were trapped. Soon, multiple gas cylinders exploded at once. I heard the blast of about 10–12 cylinders. The house was destroyed, and the screams stopped immediately.”
The fire quickly became uncontrollable, and local residents could not extinguish it. Firefighters arrived at 6 AM the next day, but by then, the structure was heavily damaged.
Security forces cordoned off the area, allowing only controlled access.
Relatives described seeing human remains in a severely charred and fragmented state, making identification extremely difficult.
Prem Bik added, “We had come here seeking work with hope and dreams. After the sudden death of these two families, all our dreams have been shattered. We are still in shock and unable to comprehend what happened.”
The authorities have initiated an investigation into the incident.
