Fire breaks out at Mahakumbh Mela due to cylinder blast; 18 tents burnt down

A major fire broke out due to a cylinder blast at the Mahakumbh Mela site in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj on Sunday. There were no immediate reports of any casualty, though at least 18 tents were burnt down in Sector 19.

According to officials, fifteen fire tenders were at the site and the blaze was brought under control.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has reached the Kumbh Mela site to review the situation. He spoke to officials and the firefighting teams.

"Very sad! The fire incident at Mahakumbh has shocked everyone. The administration is ensuring immediate relief and rescue operations. We pray Maa Ganga for everyone's safety," the Maha Kumbh 2025 official X handle posted.

It later put out another post saying the fire had been brought under control.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Mahakumbh Mela Vaibhav Krishan told news agency ANI that the fire broke out at the tents of Gita Press.

“The fire broke out in the tents of Gita Press. There are no reports of any casualties. A survey is being conducted to ascertain the extent of damage caused by the fire. The fire has been brought under control. It is a matter of nose piercing. Only tents and some things have been burnt,” he said.

District Magistrate of Prayagraj (DIG) Ravindra Kumar, too, claimed that the situation has been brought under control.

“The fire has been extinguished. There is no information of any casualties and the situation is under control,” he said.

Video clips shared widely on social media showed a thick black column of smoke billowing out from the affected area. 

The 45-day spiritual congregation started on Paush Purnima on January 13 and more than 7.72 crore people have taken the holy dip so far.