A fire broke out in two parked vehicles on the main road leading to the Mahakumbh Mela in Prayagraj on Saturday morning, causing a major scare. The blaze, which started at around 6:30 am, was quickly contained by authorities, with no injuries reported. Uttar Pradesh’s fire services officer, Vishal Yadav, confirmed that six fire brigades and water tenders were dispatched to the site to control the situation.
According to Vishal Yadav, the fire was triggered by extreme heat resulting from the large number of vehicles parked in the area for the ongoing Mahakumbh Mela. The intense concentration of parked vehicles contributed to a significant rise in temperature, which led to the ignition.
Previous Fire Incident at Mahakumbh Mela
This fire comes just a week after another fire broke out at the Mahakumbh Mela venue, believed to have been caused by a cylinder explosion. On January 19, a fire broke out in the Gita Press camp, leading to the destruction of around 70 to 80 huts and 8 to 10 tents. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) played a key role in controlling the flames, with four NDRF teams working together to manage the situation.
In response to the latest incident, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav called for immediate action to prevent such accidents in the future. The authorities have been urged to take necessary measures to mitigate fire risks at the massive spiritual gathering, where millions of devotees are present.
The Mahakumbh Mela, the world’s largest spiritual gathering, has seen an overwhelming turnout. As of Friday evening, over 48.76 lakh devotees had attended the event, and the number of ‘Kalpwasis’—those who are staying at the Sangam for an extended period—had surpassed 10 lakh. The total number of devotees who took a holy dip at the Sangam on Friday was 58.76 lakh, with over 102 million having participated in the ritual since the event’s commencement.
The state government projects that the Mahakumbh Mela will host over 45 crore visitors, with early statistics reinforcing these estimates.
Fire Safety at Large Gatherings
The recurrence of fire-related incidents at such large-scale events like the Mahakumbh Mela emphasizes the need for stringent safety protocols. While authorities are taking swift actions, further preventive measures, such as better crowd control and fire safety infrastructure, will be critical in ensuring the safety of millions of people attending these spiritual events.
While the recent fires at the Mahakumbh Mela venue have raised concerns, swift action by the fire services and disaster response teams has minimized casualties. As the event continues to attract millions of devotees, ensuring robust fire safety measures will be essential to prevent future accidents and maintain the safety of all attendees.