Fire breaks out at Maha Kumbh Sector -18 in Prayagraj; fire engines at the spot

A fire broke out at a camp in Maha Kumbh Nagar in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj on Friday, fire officials told news agency PTI. The incident took place at Sector 18, Shankaracharya Marg of Maha Kumbh Mela Kshetra. Fire tenders are at the spot to douse the blaze.

Thick clouds of smoke enveloped the fair area as panic gripped the nearby akhadas.

No casualties have been reported.

Inspector Yogesh Chaturvedi of Khak Chowk police station said, “A fire broke out at a camp near Tulsi Chauraha on Old GT Road. However, firefighters have managed to bring the blaze largely under control.”

He said fire department officials have arrived at the scene to oversee the operation.

A similar incident took place last month when a major fire broke out at the Maha Kumbh Mela due to a cylinder blast, injuring one person and engulfing 18 tents in Sector 19.

The officials said 15 fire tenders brought the blaze under control within an hour.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, who was in Prayagraj to review the preparations ahead of Mauni Amavasya, also reached the spot and directed authorities to take steps to avoid any such incident in future.

According to a statement, while running from the spot, one Jaspreet fainted and injured his leg, and was rushed to the Maha Kumbh Mela hospital.

After receiving first aid, Jaspreet was shifted to Swaruprani Medical College, Prayagraj, it said. The condition of the injured was stated to be out of danger, it added.

The affected area was cordoned off for pilgrims, and onlookers used their mobile phones to capture the rising flames and smoke.

Earlier, Kumbhmela chief fire officer Pramod Sharma said 15 fire tenders were pressed into service to contain the blaze, which engulfed 18 tents.

Akhada Police Station In-charge Bhaskar Mishra said that two LPG cylinders exploded in Sector 19 of the Maha Kumbh Mela, causing a big fire in the camps.