Ratlam (Madhya Pradesh): A fire broke out on Friday morning at the Indian Bank branch in Madhya Pradesh's Ratlam, damaging computers, air conditioners, furniture, and several important documents kept inside the premises.
According to reports, at around 7:15 am, residents in the neighbourhood noticed smoke emanating from inside the bank premises and promptly alerted the officials.
Upon receiving the alert, officials and bank staff members arrived at the scene. By the time the staff reached the premises, the volume of smoke had increased significantly.
When the shutter was opened, staff discovered that smoke was coming from a cabin located near the front section of the bank’s interior.
The fire brigade was immediately alerted about the blaze at the bank. Subsequently, two fire tenders arrived at the site, and firefighting operations commenced.
During this time, the flames began to spread rapidly throughout the bank premises.
1-hour effort brings down flames
Through continuous efforts, firefighters doused the flames after an hour. However, a considerable amount of property inside the bank had already been damaged.
Additionally, several important documents were damaged by the water used during the firefighting operation.
Coaching centre located on the upper floor
Notably, the bank branch is on the ground floor, while a coaching centre operates on the upper floor.
Fortunately, the incident occurred early in the morning hours, and no one was present in the premises at the time. Consequently, there have been no reports of any casualties.
Computers, ACs, and furniture damaged
Due to the intense heat generated by the fire, the air conditioner installed in the bank manager's cabin was also turned into ashes. Additionally, approximately 7 to 8 computers located within the bank premises were either destroyed by the fire or damaged by water.
It is reported that the fire originated in a cabin situated just in front of the bank's locker section. Fortunately, since the locker vault itself was located further inside, it remained untouched by the flames.
Due to the intense heat generated by the fire, even the glass panes in the bank manager's cabin shattered. The air conditioning unit installed inside was also completely burnt and melted down.
