NEW DELHI: A major fire that erupted at a camp during the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj on Sunday has been quickly brought under control, with no casualties reported. The blaze, which was allegedly caused by a cylinder blast, rapidly spread through the area, engulfing 18 tents in Sector 19.
In response to the incident, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath visited the site to assess the damage firsthand. He also spoke with officials and firefighting teams on the ground.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also reached out to CM Yogi over the phone to inquire about the situation and offer support. News agency PTI reported that PM Modi spoke to Adityanath over the phone.
The fire broke out at around 4:00 pm. “We recieved information at 4.08 pm that a fire broke out due to a cylinder blast in sector 19. Acting upon the information, fire tenders, fire administration, Police and the SDRF team arrived at the spot. In a swift response, the people were evacuated,” Additional director general of police (ADGP) Bhanu Bhaskar told news agency ANI.
He further said that the fire was contained by 4.30 pm and the situation is normal at present with no casualties.
Prayagraj district magistrate Ravindra Kumar Mandhad also confirmed that the situation was under control.
“Today we received information about a fire in the Gita Press camp in Kumbh area Sector 19. The fire brigade and police team reached the spot.”
He further added that along with Gita Press, fire was also reported in the tents of 10 Prayagwal.
Maha Kumbh Mela deputy inspector general of police, Vaibhav Krishna, reassured the public, adding that property damage was being assessed.
“There is no loss of life. Loss of property has been reported, it is being surveyed. There are no injuries also, as of now. We will find out the cause of the fire in the enquiry. Our priority as of now is the evacuation of the people and their safety.”
He further stated that around 15 fire tenders were pressed into service to contain the blaze.
Witnesses at the scene reported that the fire ignited from a domestic LPG cylinder blast but was brought under control in time.
Authorities continue to investigate the cause of the blaze, while efforts to survey the damage are ongoing.
