Prayagraj, January 30: A fire broke out in Sector-22 of the Prayagraj Mahakumbh Mela area on Thursday, just a day after a stampede claimed 30 lives and left 60 injured. Several tents were destroyed in the fire, but no casualties were reported. Fire brigade teams arrived at the scene and managed to control the flames.
According to officials, the area where the fire broke out had no public presence, preventing any loss of life. Senior officials reached the spot, but the exact cause of the fire remains unclear.
This marks the second fire incident in the Mahakumbh Mela. On January 19, a massive fire broke out in Sector-19, near Shastri Bridge, at the Geeta Press camp. The fire, caused by a gas leak in the kitchen, led to the blast of two cylinders, burning 180 cottages. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
To prevent fire incidents, the Mahakumbh administration has deployed advanced fire-fighting systems, including four Articulating Water Towers (AWT) equipped with video-thermal imaging technology to combat fires in multi-story tents. These towers can extinguish fires up to 35 meters high.
Additionally, over 350 fire brigades, 2,000 trained personnel, 50 fire-fighting posts, and 20 fire stations have been set up across the Mela area. Fire protection equipment has also been installed in Akhadas and tent areas to enhance safety.
