A fire broke out this Sunday in one of the camps of the Hindu festival of Kumbh Mela, the largest human gathering on the planet, No victims have been reported, while Indian authorities claim to have controlled the flames.
The fire started in sector 19 of the festival but has already been controlled, said Kumbh Mela Senior Superintendent of Police Rajesh Dwivedi, adding that no injuries have been reported.
The Urban Development Minister of the state of Uttar Pradesh, AK Sharma, told the media that the fire was the result of an explosion of three gas cylinders, but it was put out by firefighters within 20 minutes “without causing significant damage.”
According to police sources cited by the Indian media The Indian Express, the fire destroyed around twenty tents.
The colossal Kumbh Mela festival began last Monday in the city of Prayagraj, and It is expected that some 450 million people will pass through it until its completion on February 26, making it the largest human gathering on the planet.
LEE: Trump considers extending the sale of TikTok
To accommodate this tide of pilgrims, who come to bathe at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Sarasvati rivers – all of which are sacred -, The authorities have built a temporary city from scratch with more than 160,000 shelters and tents and 150,000 toilets.
According to belief, this bath purifies them from their sins, frees them from the cycle of reincarnations and brings them closer to spiritual liberation.
The total area of this ephemeral city, located on the banks of the rivers, is about 10 thousand hectares, and during the 45 days of the festival it is packed with worshipers, tourists and even sadhus (Hindu ascetics covered in ash and long hair).
More than 50 million people passed through the Kumbh Mela on its first two days, considered especially auspicious. It is expected that on the day of the next holy bath – January 29 – attendance may reach 100 million people.
You may be interested in: Gaza government asks for international support to count victims
Prayagraj hosts the massive Hindu festival every twelve years since, according to mythologyit is believed that a drop of nectar of immortality fell into it from a vessel disputed by gods and demons. From this mythological battle the Kumbh Mela festival was born.
In addition to a large police force of 50 thousand agents, to ensure security and control stampedes, With the help of cameras, the authorities have also deployed means to combat possible fires that may occur during the six weeks of the festival.
*Stay up to date with the news, join our WhatsApp channel here: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAf9Pu9hXF1EJ561i03
MV