Fire at Maha Kumbh! Blaze erupts at 'kalpvasi' tent in Prayagraj due to gas leak

Maha Kumbh 2025: Gas leak at 'kalpvasi' tent in Prayagraj set off fire at Maha Kumbh. The incident took place in in Sector 19 on Sunday and no casualties were reported, officials informed PTI. The blaze was brought down within 10 minutes through firefighters' prompt response.

According to Chief Fire Officer (Kumbh) Pramod Sharma, the fire was reported in a tent set up by Om Prakash Pandey Seva Sansthan and belonged to Rajendra Jaiswal, resident of Karma, Prayagraj. Three fire tenders rushed to the spot after the authorities were alerted about the blaze. This recent incident follows three major fires at the Maha Kumbh, in addition to several minor incidents.

Previous fire incidents at Maha Kumbh 2025

• Two days ago, a fire broke out in Prayagraj's Sector 18 of Shankaracharya Marg, no casualties were reported in the incident.
• The first major fire incident took place on January 19 near a railway bridge in Sector 19 due to a cylinder blast. The blaze gutted over a dozen camps while no casualties were reported. Another incident occurred on January 20 at a tent in Sector 5.

• On January 25, two cars caught fire in Sector 2 of the Maha Kumbh fair area. No casualties were reported in the incident which occured due to a short circuit in one. The fire from the first car engulfed another vehicle parked beside it.
• On January 29, stampede occurred in Prayagraj on Mauni Amavasya, which is considered an auspicious occasion for shahi snan. The tragic incident occurred as millions of pilgrims rushed to Triveni Sangam area to take a holy dip. Around 60 individuals were injured in the stampede. The Uttar Pradesh government announced ₹25 lakh in financial assistance for the families of the deceased. Another fire incident occurred on the day following the tragic stampede.

• On January 30, a massive fire broke out near Chatnag Ghat Police Station area, according to UP Fire Department official Pramod Sharma. In the incident 15 tents in the open area caught fire, ANI reported. Investigation into the incident revealed that these tents were unauthorised.

The most-awaited Mahakumbh Mela kickstarted on January 13 and will continue till February 26. The remaining important 'snan' dates are February 12 (Maghi Purnima), and February 26 (Maha Shivaratri).