Fire rages camp at Gangasagar mela near Kapil Muni Ashram, several shanties burned

A massive fire broke out at the Gangasagar Mela premises near the Kapil Muni Ashram early Friday morning, causing widespread panic among pilgrims. The incident occurred around 5:00 AM when flames were first spotted emerging from a temporary shelter made of dry 'Hogla' leaves. Due to the highly flammable nature of the material, the fire spread with lightning speed, reducing several adjacent shanties to ashes within minutes.

Local residents and pilgrims initially attempted to douse the flames using buckets of water and sand before fire tenders reached the spot. Multiple fire engines were pressed into service to battle the blaze on a war footing. While the firefighters have managed to bring the main fire under control, cooling operations are still underway to ensure no hidden pockets of fire remain. Senior administrative officials, including Sagar BDO Kanaiya Kumar Rao, rushed to the site to oversee the relief operations.

Fortunately, no casualties or injuries have been reported so far, although the loss of property is significant for the monks and pilgrims staying in those shelters. The exact cause of the fire remains unclear, though fire department officials suspect either a short circuit in the temporary wiring or an unattended cooking stove might have triggered the spark. A thorough investigation has been launched to determine the precise origin and the total number of shelters destroyed.