The viral claim on social media ‘bomb blast in Prayagraj Mahakumbh’ is completely wrong.

A video of the fire accident at Prayagraj Kumbh Mela on January 19 is going viral with the false claim that there was a bomb blast in the fair.

BOOM in its investigation found that this viral claim is false. This incident of fire occurred due to leaking of gas cylinder in the pandal of Geeta Press in the fair area.

The viral video contains visuals of the fire accident in the Kumbh Mela area. Along with this, a text is also given in the video. It is written, ‘Bomb blasted in Mahakumbh.’

While sharing the video on Facebook, a user wrote, ‘Bomb blast in Mahakumbh Mela Prayagraj.’

Many other users (archive link) have also shared this video with the same claim.

fact check

BOOM looked at media reports related to the fire in the Mahakumbh area to verify the claim.

According to media reports, a fire broke out due to the explosion of a gas cylinder in Sector 19 of the Kumbh area in Prayagraj on January 19, 2024, around 4 pm. Within no time the fire took a huge form. More than 250 tent pandals in the fair area got affected by the fire. However, the fire was soon controlled by the NDRF and fire brigade teams.

In the report of News18, quoting the investigation report of the case, it was told that the fire started due to the cylinder leaking while making tea in the kitchen of Geeta Press. There was no conspiracy of any kind in this fire incident but it was an accident.

There was no news of a bomb blast in the fair area in any credible media report. In Dainik Bhaskar’s report, Mahakumbh Mela Chief Fire Officer Pramod Sharma was quoted as saying that within 10 minutes of the fire, police personnel, fire brigade team and more than 600 NDRF-SDRF personnel had reached the spot. .

News agency ANI quoted Prayagraj DM Ravindra Kumar Mander as saying at 5:11 pm on January 19, 2024, “Fire spread in 10 tents of Prayagwal along with Geeta Press was also reported. Fire brigade and police teams reached the spot. The fire was extinguished upon arrival. The situation is normal, no casualties have been reported.”

 

#WATCH Prayagraj DM Ravindra Kumar Mander said, “Today at 4:30, we received information about fire in Geeta Press of Kumbh area, Sector 19. Fire brigade and police teams reached the spot. Along with Geeta Press, 10 tents of Prayagwal were also destroyed. There was information about the spread of fire which has been extinguished. pic.twitter.com/vox2tegKjD

— ANI_HindiNews (@AHindinews) January 19, 2025

According to media reports, more than 350 fire brigades, more than 2000 trained manpower, 50 fire stations and 20 fire posts have been created to make the Mahakumbh Mela area fire free. Fire protection equipment has been installed in the arenas and tents.