A major fire broke out at the Mahakumbh in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj on Sunday, raising concerns among officials and attendees. The fire, which started at around 4:30 PM, occurred in Sector 19 of the Mahakumbh Tent City. Authorities confirmed that the blaze was caused by an explosion of cooking cylinders, which rapidly spread, engulfing 18 tents.
Fortunately, there have been no reports of casualties. Prayagraj District Magistrate Ravindra Kumar assured the public, stating, “There is no information of any casualty. The situation is under control.” The local authorities swiftly deployed 15 fire tenders to contain the fire, and Kumbh Mela Chief Fire Officer Pramod Sharma oversaw the firefighting efforts.
🚨 SHOCKING! Major fire breaks out at the Mahakumbh mela.
Advertisement · Scroll to continueYogi Adityanath’s administration is ensuring immediate relief & rescue operations.
Prayers to Maa Ganga for safety of all 🙏#MahaKumbhMela2025 #IITianBaba pic.twitter.com/XybVZg5P6L
— ꧁༻MS 07️⃣༺꧂ (@Mahendramina12) January 19, 2025
The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, upon being informed of the incident, visited the site and spoke to officials and firefighting teams to assess the damage. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took cognizance of the situation and personally inquired about the fire, engaging with CM Adityanath over the incident.
The Maha Kumbh Mela, which began on January 13, has seen an immense turnout of pilgrims. More than 77.2 million devotees have participated in the holy dip at the Sangam Triveni as of January 18. On Sunday alone, 46.95 lakh devotees took part in the ‘snan’ (holy dip), emphasizing the significance of this major religious event.
Social media reactions followed with expressions of grief and solidarity. The official Maha Kumbh 2025 handle on X (formerly Twitter) posted, “Very sad! The fire incident at #MahaKumbh has shocked everyone. The administration is ensuring immediate relief and rescue operations. We pray Maa Ganga for everyone’s safety.”
The Samajwadi Party also expressed its concern and urged the government to accelerate the relief and rescue operations.
As of now, the situation is reported to be under control, and the authorities are working to prevent further escalation. The Maha Kumbh is scheduled to run until February 26, 2025.
ALSO READ: Fire In Mahakumbh Mela: CM Yogi Visits Fire Site In Prayagraj, No Casualties Reported