Fire breaks out at PNB headquarters
24 May 2012 10:38 AM GMT
A major fire broke out in the Punjab National Bank headquarters near the Patel Chowk roundabout in Delhi on Wednesday, as hundreds of people, mostly women, were rescued, just in time, averting a mishap. The fire department used hydraulic cranes to rescue the trapped employees of the bank. The building which caught fire is barely 300 metres away from the Parliament premises.
There are no casualties in the incident. However, one person suffered mild suffocation.
At about 4.55 pm, a huge blast sound alerted the people and police officials inside the Parliament Street police station, which is at a stone’s throw away from the spot of the fire. Even though the call about the fire had been made a few minutes before the blast, panic gripped the surrounding area after that, as people though it was a bomb blast.
Immediately after the blast, a stream of police officials rushed to the spot and cordoned off the area and fire tenders reached the spot within a few minutes of the call. The cops had a tough time as the building occupants panicked and few of them even tried to jump from the fourth floor of the building. Only after the fire officials entered the building that the occupants heaved a sigh of relief and were evacuated one by one. The Delhi Police says that a short circuit may have caused the fire. ‘The fire started from the stationary store in the basement of the building. It was probably an air-conditioner which blew up,’ the cops said.
Even though the flames were doused within 15 minutes of fire tenders reaching the spot, the thick smoke created problems for the occupants. At least 20 fire tenders were sent to the spot, including three hydraulic cranes, which rescued occupants who were trapped on the fourth floor of the building.
A K Sharma, the chief of fire department, who reached the spot, said, ‘We rescued about 150 people from the building. This is one of the biggest fires in Delhi in several years.’
The joint commissioner of police, central range, Mohammed Taj Hasan said, ‘We have not registered any case as we sought a report from the fire department. The cause of the fire is still not known.
There are no casualties in the incident. However, one person suffered mild suffocation.
At about 4.55 pm, a huge blast sound alerted the people and police officials inside the Parliament Street police station, which is at a stone’s throw away from the spot of the fire. Even though the call about the fire had been made a few minutes before the blast, panic gripped the surrounding area after that, as people though it was a bomb blast.
Immediately after the blast, a stream of police officials rushed to the spot and cordoned off the area and fire tenders reached the spot within a few minutes of the call. The cops had a tough time as the building occupants panicked and few of them even tried to jump from the fourth floor of the building. Only after the fire officials entered the building that the occupants heaved a sigh of relief and were evacuated one by one. The Delhi Police says that a short circuit may have caused the fire. ‘The fire started from the stationary store in the basement of the building. It was probably an air-conditioner which blew up,’ the cops said.
Even though the flames were doused within 15 minutes of fire tenders reaching the spot, the thick smoke created problems for the occupants. At least 20 fire tenders were sent to the spot, including three hydraulic cranes, which rescued occupants who were trapped on the fourth floor of the building.
A K Sharma, the chief of fire department, who reached the spot, said, ‘We rescued about 150 people from the building. This is one of the biggest fires in Delhi in several years.’
The joint commissioner of police, central range, Mohammed Taj Hasan said, ‘We have not registered any case as we sought a report from the fire department. The cause of the fire is still not known.
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