Short circuit sparks fire at HDFC Bank

Hyderabad: A short circuit in the server room of the Chandanagar HDFC Bank branch literally gave people a run for their money on Wednesday afternoon. The fire, which broke out on the bank’s premises spread to the two ATMs near the bank.

As panic spread, customers and the bank staff immediately fled. The fire damaged the money deposited by customers, the server room computers and some records in the bank. However, the locker room was spared and no damage was reported to either cash or gold stored in them.

After the fire many people gathered on the bank’s premises to confirm the safety of their valuables. The staff had a tough time explaining to customers leading to heated arguments.

A fire call was received at 12:25 pm at the fire control room and three fire engines from Sanath Nagar, Patancheru and Madhapur rushed to the spot. It took two hours to put out the fire. “There was huge damage to property and we are still assessing it. The fire was of electrical origin,” the fire officials said.

In a statement, Mr Freeda D'Souza, the deputy vice president, corporate communications, HDFC Bank said, “Our customers were evacuated immediately and there is no injury or loss of life. The deposits, records and valuables are safe. The branch will be restored soon. Customers have been asked to use other branches. We regret the inconvenience.”