2 killed, several missing as massive fire guts market in India's Himachal Pradesh

NEW DELHI, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- At least two people, including an eight-year-old boy, were killed and several others reported missing early Monday in a devastating fire at a marketplace in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, police said.

The two people injured in the incident are undergoing treatment at the hospital.

The fire broke out in a building in the old bus stand in the main market in Arki of Solan district, about 38 km west of Shimla, the capital city of Himachal Pradesh.

According to officials, police, State Disaster Response Force, and firefighting teams are searching for the missing persons.

The fire has caused significant damage and completely gutted 10 to 15 shops and some houses. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.