Watch: Fire Breaks Out At Maha Kumbh Again; Rescue Operation Underway

A fire erupted on Friday, February 7 at Sector 18, Shankaracharya Marg in the Mahakumbh Mela Kshetra in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. Several fire tenders were dispatched to the scene, and rescue operations are currently in progress. Inspector Yogesh Chaturvedi of Khak Chowk police station said, “A fire broke out at a camp near Tulsi Chauraha on Old GT Road. However, firefighters have managed to bring the blaze largely under control.” He said fire department officials have arrived at the scene to oversee the operation.

Earlier last month, at least 30 people were killed and over 60 injured when a stampede-like situation ensued at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj in the wee hours of January 29. The incident reportedly happened when the devotees were in line for the amrit snan (holy dip) at the Ghat on the sacred occasion of Mauni Amavasya. However, the barricades broke, leading to a devastating crowd crush. According to reports, all the hospitals of Prayagraj were put on 'high alert' and all doctors were asked to report to the hospitals immediately. A crowd diversion plan was implemented at the Maha Kumbh and the entry of the devotees was restricted.

How Did The Crowd Crush Occur?

Crores of devotees were awaiting the Amrit Snan on Wednesday morning. Speaking about the incidents leading up to the crowd crush, Mahakumbh DIG Vaibhav Krishna told the media that some people tried to jump over the barricades, breaking them and making the massive crowd difficult to control. 

As per reports, many devotees were feeling suffocated in the crowd and fell unconscious on top of others, causing a fatal crowd crush. The injured were rushed to a hospital at the Maha Kumbh grounds. Some seriously injured people were sent to Bailey Hospital and Swaroop Rani Medical College.

The Mahakumbh organisers carried out the 'Amrit Snan' on a smaller scale on Wednesday afternoon. Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad President Ravindra Puri told the media, “Due to the excessive crowd, we had put our snan on hold. Now that the crowd has reduced and the ghats meant for our snan are being vacated, so it seems that all Akharas will be able to do snan today… Our processions will be carried out as usual according to our tradition but will be at a smaller scale."

Puri added, “We are seeing that the crowd is decreasing now, and we are holding discussions with the Mela administration. We would like to take the ‘snan’ if the crowd decreases. We had postponed ‘snan’ in the morning. We are also trying that the situation normalises and then we will talk to Mela administration and then take ‘snan’."

Government's Response; Measures Taken

The Uttar Pradesh government ordered an investigation by the judicial commission into the stampede incident. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that a probe will also be done to look into police lapses. According to Press Trust of India, several crowd control measures have now been taken.

Key measures taken:

No-Vehicle Zone: Entry of all types of vehicles is strictly prohibited in the Maha Kumbh grounds.

VVIP Passes Canceled: No special passes will allow vehicle entry, eliminating any exceptions.

One-Way Routes: A one-way traffic system has been implemented to organise the movement of visitors.

Restrictions At City Borders: Vehicles arriving from neighbouring districts of Prayagraj are being stopped at district borders to reduce congestion. Entry of four-wheelers into the city is completely banned until this date to maintain order.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah reportedly spoke to CM Adityanath to take stock of the situation. The CM also appealed to the devotees to take a dip at the closest ghat and avoid going towards Sangam Nose. Opposition leaders hit out at the UP Government for "half-baked" arrangements.

महाकुम्भ-2025, प्रयागराज में हुई घटना अत्यंत दु:खद है, मर्माहत करने वाली है।

मृतकों को विनम्र श्रद्धांजलि व मेरी संवेदनाएं शोक संतप्त परिजनों के साथ हैं... pic.twitter.com/IuJ8Sz2GTh

— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) January 29, 2025

महाकुम्भ-2025, प्रयागराज आए प्रिय श्रद्धालुओं,

माँ गंगा के जिस घाट के आप समीप हैं, वहीं स्नान करें, संगम नोज की ओर जाने का प्रयास न करें।

आप सभी प्रशासन के निर्देशों का अनुपालन करें, व्यवस्था बनाने में सहयोग करें।

संगम के सभी घाटों पर शांतिपूर्वक स्नान हो रहा है। किसी भी अफवाह…

— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) January 29, 2025

महाकुंभ के दौरान, तीर्थराज संगम के तट पर हुई भगदड़ से कई लोगों की जान गई है और अनेकों लोगों के घायल होने का समाचार बेहद हृदयविदारक है।

श्रद्धालुओं के परिजनों के प्रति हमारी गहरी संवेदनाएँ और घायलों की शीघ्रातिशीघ्र स्वास्थ्य लाभ की हम कामना करते हैं।

आधी अधूरी व्यवस्था,…

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) January 29, 2025

pic.twitter.com/3GSkR4HIYR

— Samajwadi Party (@samajwadiparty) January 29, 2025