A devastating fire swept through Kasauli's century-old Heritage Market in Himachal Pradesh's Solan district on Monday, gutting eight shops and causing an estimated loss of ₹3 crore.
The pre-dawn fire spread across multiple structures, sending thick black smoke into the air that could be seen from far away. Several LPG cylinders inside the affected shops exploded, making the fire worse.
The damaged outlets included eateries, gift shops, and a medical store. Shop owners have faced heavy losses due to the incident.
A local resident told HT that loud explosions from LPG cylinders were heard in the early hours, after which the flames quickly spread across the market.
Kasauli sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Mahender Pratap Singh said a short circuit is believed to be the cause.
Among the damaged properties was one of the oldest and most well-known outlets in the market, the Narinder Bun Samosa Shop, which has been visited over the decades by top actors like Sanjay Dutt and the late author Khushwant Singh for its simple 'bun-sam' delicacy.
Solan deputy commissioner (DC) Man Mohan Sharma said each of the eight affected shopkeepers was given immediate relief of ₹25,000 by the administration.
Residents expressed anger over what they described as negligence, saying the fire could have been controlled sooner if the repeated cylinder blasts had not disrupted the firefighting work.
