Just a day before the first Shahi Snan (royal bathing) of Makar Sankranti a fire broke out in the Digambar Akhara camp reducing nine huge tents to ashes in Sector 16 of Prayag Kumbh-2019 on Monday afternoon. However, no casualty was reported in the incident. The officials said that the fire broke out owing to a leakage in the LPG cylinder. However, the passersby claimed that they had heard the sound of two blasts from the kitchen of Digambari Akhara. As the Digambari Akhara tents are situated near the Sector 16 administration pandal the fire-fighters reached the spot within five minutes and brought the flames under control. Timely action prevented the fire from engulfing other tents and pandals of the neighbouring akharas. A fourwheeler also got trapped in this fire which started from the kitchen of the Digambar Akhara and fanned by strong winds spread to other tents within seconds. Within minutes nine tents of the Digambari Akhara went up in flames. The firefighters were pressed into service to extinguish the blaze and they brought it under control with the help of the locals and the para-military personnel
It may be pointed out here that all the akharas are preparing for the first Shahi Snan of Kumbh-2019 on January 15 (Makar Sankranti). Just a day before this grand royal bathing this incident demoralised the devotees a bit but the seers said that no major harm was done and the Shahi Snan would take place in a royal manner as usual.