Burglars made a futile attempt to loot an agricultural co operative bank at nearby Muthialpatty of gold ornaments and cash in Namakkal.
The bank secretary A Govindan said the culprits gained entry to the strong room by digging a hole in the wall and tried to break open an iron chest containing the ornaments and cash.
However the alarm went off, scaring them and they made good their escape, police said.