A major fire broke out at the Maha Kumbh fairgrounds in Prayagraj on Sunday evening, destroying more than 200 tents. The blaze, which originated from a cylinder explosion in the Gita Press camp at Sector 19 near Shastri Bridge, caused widespread panic but resulted in no reported casualties.
The fire, reported around 4:30 pm, quickly engulfed 180 cottages belonging to Gita Press. Authorities believe the initial cylinder explosion, which occurred during cooking, triggered a chain reaction, causing multiple cylinders to detonate.
Picture of fire in the fair area
Twelve fire brigade vehicles were deployed to the scene, and the flames were brought under control within an hour. Fair Chief Fire Officer (CFO) Pramod Sharma confirmed that around 500 individuals were safely evacuated from the affected area. A sanyasi reportedly lost currency notes worth ₹1 lakh in the blaze.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath promptly visited the site to assess the situation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also contacted the Chief Minister to inquire about the incident. Notably, CM Adityanath had conducted an aerial inspection of the Maha Kumbh Mela grounds shortly before the fire broke out.
Speaking to reporters, a seer who witnessed the incident recounted the chaotic moments:“I was inside the akhara when I heard a loud explosion and saw people running. Within minutes, there were two more blasts, and everyone rushed out of their camps.”
Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav called for a thorough investigation into the incident and urged authorities to ensure such accidents are prevented in the future.
Despite the extensive property damage, officials have confirmed that there were no injuries or fatalities reported at the time of this update. The swift arrival of fire-tenders and senior police officials helped contain the situation and calm the panicked crowd.
Further investigations are underway to ascertain the cause and prevent similar incidents during the ongoing Maha Kumbh, according to officials.
