Nine Nepali Migrant Workers from Salyan Die in Gas Cylinder Explosion in India

HIMACHAL PRADESH — Nine Nepali migrant workers from Siddha kumakh Rural Municipality-2 in Salyan district have been killed after a gas cylinder explosion triggered a massive fire in the Arki area of Solan district in India’s Himachal Pradesh, officials and family members confirmed on Tuesday.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Monday, when a gas cylinder reportedly exploded inside a room above a small shop where the two families were staying and sleeping after returning from work late at night. The blast sparked a blaze that engulfed the building and caused extensive damage.

Local relatives said the victims’ bodies were badly damaged by the fire and explosion, making identification difficult.

The deceased have been identified as Dhan Bahadur Bik (33), his wife Kavita Bik (32), their children Radha, Renuka and Rajan, Kashiram Bik (47), his wife Tika (32), and their children Anu (12) and Kiran (7).

According to relatives, both families had been living in the room above the shop and had gone to India for work about two and a half years ago due to difficult economic conditions at home. After learning about the fire, four other people who were sleeping in a nearby house managed to escape and survive.

Indian security teams and local authorities are engaged in recovering the bodies at the scene. Officials said the severity of the blast and fire has complicated the recovery efforts.

Local leaders in Salyan said the entire ward is in mourning. Siddhakumakh Rural Municipality-2 has declared a day of mourning, and discussions are underway with relatives and local residents in India about whether to perform last rites there or bring the bodies back to Nepal.

The tragic incident highlights ongoing risks faced by Nepali migrant workers abroad, particularly in informal living and working conditions.