Fact Check: Maha Kumbh Mela sees fire break out at hospital? No, it's mock drill

Hyderabad: With Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 starting on January 13, people from around the world gathered in Uttar Pradesh to participate in the world’s largest religious gathering.

Held every 12 years, the mela draws millions of pilgrims, saints and tourists who participate in spiritual rituals, including ceremonial bathing at the sacred confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati rivers. Extensive preparations have been made to manage the massive influx of devotees, focusing on infrastructure, security and healthcare facilities to ensure the event proceeds smoothly.

In this context, a video is circulating on social media showing scenes of chaos, with an alarm bell ringing and individuals in police uniforms with firefighting gear attempting to manage the situation. Users sharing the video claim that a fire broke out in a hospital in a Maha Kumbh Mela area.

An X user shared the video and wrote, “A massive fire broke out in the hospital located in the Mahakumbh Mela area.” (Translated from Hindi) (Archive)

Several X users shared the video claiming the same. The posts can be seen here and here. (Archive 1, Archive 2)

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the claim is false. The video shows a mock drill by the Fire and Emergency Services of Uttar Pradesh Police.

Upon reviewing the comments on the viral post (now deleted), we found a clarification by Kumbh Mela police stating that the video depicts a mock drill conducted by the Fire and Emergency Services of Uttar Pradesh Police. The post also informed that an FIR is being registered against the user for spreading rumours.

The X account of the Fire and Emergency Services of Uttar Pradesh Police, responding to the post, clarified that the mock drill was conducted on December 27, 2024. The account shared the image of the mock drill and urged users not to spread rumours.

The account also stated that the drill was carried out at various key locations, including the Police Line premises of Maha Kumbh Mela, Prayagraj, Central Medical Parade, Sangam Nose, Nagvasuki area and the Prayagraj Railway Station. The exercise was aimed to enhance preparedness for handling real incidents effectively and ensure the safety of millions of devotees during the grand Maha Kumbh 2025.

The fact-check X handle of the Uttar Pradesh Police, sharing a screenshot of a viral post, stated that legal action has been initiated by registering an FIR through the Kumbh Mela Police against individuals spreading rumours about the mock drill video.

DIG Mahakumbh Vaibhav Krishna in a post also clarified that the video shows a fire mock drill by the Kumbh Mela Police. He also warned of strong legal against the user spreading unsubstantiated information.

Therefore, we conclude that the video does not show a fire breaking out at a hospital at Maha Kumbh Mela. The claim is false.