A massive fire broke out on Sunday, January 19, under a railway bridge near sector 19 of the Mahakumbh Tent City in Prayagraj. The fire was reportedly caused by an explosion in cooking gas cylinders and it engulfed around 18 tents. No casualties have been reported following the incident.
People in the surrounding tents were evacuated safely. Around 15 fire tenders were put into service to contain the flames as per Kumbh Mela Chief Fire Officer, Pramod Sharma.
VIDEO | Prayagraj: Drone visuals of fire that broke out under a railway bridge near Sector 19 in Maha Kumbh area.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 19, 2025
(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/f1MqeGimWr
Speaking to the media, Prayagraj District Magistrate Ravindra Kumar said that the fire broke out around 4:30 pm in the tent of Gita Press. He said that no casualties occurred and the situation was controlled. The fire was brought under control within 20 minutes, as informed by UP Minister AK Sharma.
“There has been no loss of lives in the incident and for that, I thank Ma Ganga, Triveni and Hanuman Ji. Our police team and the NDRF are at the spot”, said Sharma.
ADG Bhanu Bhaskar said that an investigation will conducted into the fire incident. “Two-three cylinders exploded in Sector 19 of the Maha Kumbh Mela, causing a massive fire in the camps. The fire has been controlled. All people are safe, and no one has been injured. An investigation will be conducted,” he said.
According to DIG Vaibhav Krishna, a survey of the fire site is being conducted to assess the damage. “The fire broke out in some tents of Gita Press. There are no reports of any casualties. A survey is being conducted to ascertain the damage caused by the fire. The fire has been brought under control. It is a matter of investigation (the cause behind the fire incident). Only tents and some things have been burnt,” he said. He urged people not to panic as the fire has been brought under control.
#WATCH | Fire at #MahaKumbhMela2025 | Prayagraj, UP: Maha Kumbh Mela DIG, Vaibhav Krishna says, "…The fire broke out in tents of Gita Press. There are no reports of any casualties. A survey is being conducted to ascertain the damage caused by the fire. The fire has been brought… pic.twitter.com/4J9lCyr6TU
— ANI (@ANI) January 19, 2025
CM Yogi assessed the situation on the ground and spoke to PM
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited the site of the incident to assess the situation. PM Modi also reportedly spoke to CM Yogi to inquire about the fire incident.
The fire was contained well within time due to the presence of fire tenders parked at the venue as part of the safety arrangement. The fire tenders immediately rushed to the spot after receiving information about the fire and started rescue work. Local authorities acted swiftly in coordination with police and fire departments.
