Fire breaks out at Punjab National Bank in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur, firefighters battle flames for hours

A major fire broke out at a branch of the Punjab National Bank in Durga Bazar of Jagatsinghpur Sadar area on Sunday morning. No casualties were reported from the incident.

Sources reported that local residents noticed smoke billowing out of the bank's shutter and immediately alerted the police and the fire department. Upon arrival, police and firefighters broke open the shutter and attempted to bring the fire under control.

As many as four teams of the fire department worked tirelessly for nearly two and a half hours to douse the fire. Following the containment of the flames, authorities carried out a preliminary investigation of the site and attributed the cause to a possible short circuit.

ALSO READ: Nayagarh District Central Cooperative Bank Committee dissolved amid corruption allegations

Later, when bank employees arrived, they assessed the damage inside the premises. Sources added that while the fire destroyed all furniture, air conditioners, computers and the strong room remained secure.  Additionally, bank manager Sushant Kumar Biswal assured that all cash and valuables were safe.

“All cash and documents are safe and only minor damages have been caused due to water. The fire, however, damaged the infrastructure of the building,” Biswal added.

He also added that a detailed inquiry will follow to ascertain the exact cause of the fire and also noted that his branch followed due electrical wiring and safety measures.

ALSO READ: Fire breaks out at MCL coal mine in Odisha’s Talcher

Meanwhile, Jagatsinghpur Fire Station in-charge Kartik Chandra Biswal maintained that a short circuit may have likely caused the fire. “As of now, all signs point to a short circuit in the bank’s electrical systems. However, we will probe additional angles,” he said.