A fire erupted in two parked vehicles on Saturday morning along the main road leading to the Mahakumbh Mela venue in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. Authorities dispatched multiple fire tenders to contain the blaze promptly.
No casualties were reported in the incident, according to the police.
“We received information about a fire in a Maruti Ertiga car around 6:30 am. Six fire brigades and water tenders were deployed immediately, and the fire was brought under control. No one was harmed,” Vishal Yadav, an officer with UP fire services, told PTI.
The fire reportedly started due to intense heat caused by the large number of vehicles parked for the Mahakumbh Mela, the world’s largest spiritual gathering currently underway in Prayagraj, Yadav added.
Previous Fire Incident at Mahakumbh Mela Venue
This incident follows a fire reported at the Mahakumbh venue just a week earlier. According to police, the earlier blaze was triggered by a suspected cylinder explosion.
On January 19, the fire broke out at the Gita Press camp, burning 70 to 80 huts and eight to 10 tents, Additional District Magistrate (ADM) of the Mahakumbh Mela, Vivek Chaturvedi, stated.
Four teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) worked together to extinguish the fire, noted NDRF Deputy Inspector General (DIG) MK Sharma.
Following the incident, Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav urged authorities to address fire safety measures and ensure future precautions.
Massive Turnout at Mahakumbh Mela
Meanwhile, the Mahakumbh Mela in Prayagraj continues to draw record-breaking crowds. By 8 pm on Friday, over 48.76 lakh devotees had visited the event, with 58.76 lakh taking a holy dip at the Sangam.
Drone footage from Triveni Sangam revealed a vast gathering of devotees participating in the spiritual festival. Since its commencement, over 102 million people have performed the holy ritual of bathing in the Sangam.
The state government anticipates that the Mahakumbh Mela will attract more than 45 crore visitors by its conclusion, with the milestone of 10 crore bathers already reached.