A fire broke out late Thursday night at an enclosure in Sector 4 of Mahakumbh Nagar, officials confirmed on Friday. The blaze prompted a swift response from emergency services, with multiple fire tenders arriving on the scene around 11:30 pm. One person was rescued with injuries and transported to a nearby medical facility by ambulance shortly after midnight.
Despite the Maha Kumbh 2025 concluding on February 26, the area remained busy with people continuing to visit the Triveni Sangam, and crowds gathered as fire crews responded to the incident. The site of the fire was located near the Shastri Bridge, and authorities have not yet officially disclosed the cause or nature of the blaze.
The fire, which affected a ‘chholdari’ tent in a sanitation colony, was reportedly contained by fire department personnel by midnight. Chief Fire Officer of Mahakumbh Nagar, Pramod Sharma, confirmed that the fire started in Sector 4 and that the tents affected were basic structures used for temporary accommodation.
One of the individuals injured, 73-year-old Bihari Lal from Prayagraj, spoke to PTI about the incident. Lal had burn injuries on his right hand and showed signs of shock when being treated. “I had just returned from the bathroom and was trying to sleep when the fire broke out. I don’t know how it started,” Lal recounted. He mentioned that he and others tried unsuccessfully to wake his companion, who was also believed to have been injured in the fire.
Lal was staying in one of five ‘chholdari’ tents that were completely destroyed in the blaze. Another man, who was also in the tent, was reportedly injured and sent to the hospital. However, this has yet to be officially confirmed.
Inside the enclosure, charred remains of the tents, burnt articles, steel plates, and a coiled sprinkler pipe were visible. A visitor from Chennai, who witnessed the scene as fire tenders arrived, described seeing the injured man sitting in shock before being escorted to the ambulance.
The incident took place at the Mahakumbh Mela site, held at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers in Prayagraj. The Shastri Bridge, located across the Ganga River, is near the site of the fire.
The religious event, held once every 12 years, began on January 13 and ended with the final auspicious bath on Mahashivratri. Over 66 crore people participated in the Maha Kumbh, taking holy dips at the Triveni Sangam during the festival.
