Fire breaks out in camp a day before Kumbh Mela
On Monday, a massive fire gutted several tents at the Kumbh mela in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. The event is officially supposed to start on Tuesday. The fire, which reportedly started at one of the tents in Digambar Akhara near Digambar Ghat, spread quickly and destroyed multiple tents. Firefighters were rushed to contain the flames and they succeeded soon. Here's more.
Fire has been contained, no casualties reported
It is reported the fire started after a cylinder blast. Three fire tenders were rushed to the spot and the people present in the area were shifted to a safer location. Speaking about the fire, SP Security of Prayagraj told ANI: "Fire has been contained and the area is being cleared now. There has been no loss of life or injuries."
Watch: Firefighters work to douse the fire
Kumbh starts tomorrow, nearly 12 crore devotees expected
Devotees will take the first holy dip at Kumbh on Tuesday, the festival of Makar Sakranti. They will bathe at the triveni sangam, the confluence of rivers Ganga, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati. For the mega event, which will end on March 4, 2019, the Uttar Pradesh government has made massive preparations. Nearly 12 crore devotees and tourists are expected to visit.
A little insight on how UP is prepared for Kumbh
The mega event is spread over 3,200 hectares of land. To give a perspective, the 2013 Kumbh was spread over 2,500 hectares. Roads leading to Prayagraj have been widened, nearly 1.22 lakh toilets have been set up, and 500 buses have been introduced in the town by UPSRTC to ferry devotees to the event. 87 economically-viable dormitory shaped-public accommodations have been set up.
