Gas cylinder blast causes fire at Mahakumbh Mela venue; no casualties (Ld)

Mahakumbh Nagar, Jan 19 A fire caused by the explosion of two gas cylinders inside a tent at the Mahakumbh Mela venue in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj led to chaos, confusion and panic on Sunday. However, due to the swift and timely rescue efforts, the rapid spread of fire was quickly contained, preventing casualties.

As per information, the fire burnt several tents to ash. The police said that fire began in Sector 19 of the Mahakumbh site, where the cylinders exploded. Fire trucks, which were already stationed at the venue as part of safety measures for the large-scale event, rushed to the scene and managed to control the blaze.

"On receiving information regarding a fire in the kitchen of the Geeta Press Gorakhpur camp at around 4.10 p.m., the flames were extinguished by the Fire Service with the help of local Kalpavasis and the police at around 5 p.m.," a statement mentioned.

The note said that the fire started due to leakage from a small cylinder while tea was being prepared.

"Due to the fire, two gas cylinders kept in the kitchen exploded and 40 thatched huts and 6 tents were burnt. While running away from the fire, a person named Jaspreet sustained injuries to his leg and fell unconscious. After becoming unconscious, he was taken to a hospital for treatment," it added.

Jaspreet has been shifted to Swaroop Rani Medical College, Prayagraj for further treatment. His condition is said to be out of danger.

Due to the fire, the items for daily use kept in the tents, like bed, cot, blanket, chair, table etc. were burnt and destroyed.

Meanwhile, the Media Cell of Mahakumbh Prayagraj in a statement said: "All the nearby fire brigade vehicles reached the spot in about 3 minutes and within just 10 minutes, 35 more fire brigade vehicles reached the spot."

It mentioned that with the assistance by a team of police personnel, the fire was brought under control quickly in a short time.

"There is a possibility of about 100 tents being gutted in this incident. Investigation on the spot revealed that the cause of the fire was the explosion of a gas cylinder," the statement said, adding that the situation is normal.

"There is no information about any casualties and information is being sought regarding the tents in which the fire broke out," it read.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday spoke to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to take stock of the situation.

PM Modi and the Chief Minister also discussed fire-control arrangements at the venue to prevent a repeat of such an incident.

As a precautionary measure, people living in surrounding tents were evacuated as soon as the fire broke out and began spreading.

Soon after the fire broke out, drones were used to assess the situation at the Mahakumbh Mela venue. They provided real-time aerial views, helping authorities monitor the spread of the blaze and coordinate the firefighting efforts effectively, ensuring swift response and better management of the crisis.

The official X handle of the Mahakumbh Mela expressed concern, stating: "Very sad. The fire incident at Maha Kumbh has shocked everyone. The administration is ensuring immediate relief and rescue operations. We pray to Maa Ganga for everyone's safety."

Source: IANS