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Major Fire Erupts at Gangasagar Mela Ground, Pilgrim Shelters Gutted

A fire erupted at the Gangasagar Mela ground on Sagar Island, completely burning several temporary shanties and tents housing pilgrims. The blaze, fueled by strong winds and highly inflammable cane grass construction, spread rapidly but was brought under control after hours of firefighting. Officials noted the fortunate timing, as a thinner-than-peak crowd prevented potential casualties, with a short-circuit suspected as the cause. Investigations are ongoing while fire personnel remain alert for hidden fire pockets.

Key Points: Fire at Gangasagar Mela Ground, No Casualties Reported

  • Fire broke out in early hours of Mela's first day
  • Strong winds spread flames through cane grass shanties
  • No casualties reported as crowd was thin
  • Short-circuit suspected as cause
  • Police and media camps also affected
2 min read

Fire at Gangasagar Mela ground in Bengal's Sagar Islands, no casualties reported

A fire gutted temporary shelters at West Bengal's Gangasagar Mela. Strong winds and inflammable materials hampered firefighters. No casualties reported.

"Had the crowd at the ground been at its peak, casualties could not be ruled out - district police official"

Kolkata, Jan 9

A fire broke out at the Gangasagar Mela ground on Friday, gutting several temporary shelters on Sagardwip island in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district, officials said.

The annual Gangasagar Mela began on Friday, and the fire broke out in the early hours.

Several temporary shanties and tents set up for housing pilgrims visiting the Sagar Islands during the auspicious occasion were burnt completely. However, fortunately, no casualties have been reported so far because of the fire mishap.

According to the district police sources, the fire broke out early in the morning at one of the shanties built from cane grass, which is highly inflammable in nature. And, because of the strong winds, the fire spread quickly to other adjacent temporary shanties and tents set up as shelters for the pilgrims and visitors.

The fire tenders reached the spot quickly and started firefighting. However, the high wind speed and the inflammable nature of the materials with which the shanties were constructed posed difficulties for the fire officers and firemen to extinguish the fire quickly.

The fire created panic among the people who had already arrived at the Mela ground. After rigorous firefighting for a couple of hours, the fire was brought under control, and the cooling process started.

"The fire officers and firemen deputed at the spot are still alert over the possibilities of hidden fire-pockets," confirmed a district police official.

He also said that, fortunately, the fire broke out at a time when the turnout at the Mela ground was not as much as it is expected to be. Had the crowd at the ground been at its peak, casualties could not be ruled out, the district police official said.

Besides the shanties constructed to house the pilgrims and the visitors, the temporary camps of the state information and culture department, police, media enclosure, and the camp of Bajrang Dal were affected by the fire.

A short-circuit could be the reason behind the fire, according to state fire services department officials. Further investigation was underway.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
The fire tenders reached quickly and did their job well despite the wind. Salute to the firefighters! But this shows poor planning. Using cane grass for shelters near such a massive gathering is asking for trouble. Hope lessons are learned before Makar Sankranti when the real crowd arrives.
A
Aman W
It's a blessing in disguise that it happened early when the crowd was thin. Imagine the tragedy if this happened on the main bathing day. The administration got lucky this time. They must now mandate fire-resistant materials for all temporary structures. No compromises.
S
Sarah B
I was planning to go with my family next week. This news is worrying. Are the arrangements safe now? The article says media and police camps were also affected. It seems the fire safety audit for the entire mela ground needs to be thorough and transparent.
V
Vikram M
Short-circuit is the usual suspect, but the root cause is often shoddy electrical work done in haste for these temporary setups. Contractors cut corners. The government needs to have a dedicated, certified team for electrical and structural safety for the mela. Jai Ganga Maiyya, but please keep her devotees safe.
K
Kavya N
My heart goes out to the pilgrims who lost their temporary shelters. The mela is about faith and community. I hope the local administration and volunteer groups are helping them find alternate arrangements. The spirit of Gangasagar is resilience.

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