A fire broke out in the record room of the Uttarakhand-based Kurmanchal Nagar Sahakari Bank branch located in TP Nagar, Haldwani on Sunday evening, allegedly due to a short circuit. Since it was a holiday, no staff or customers were present, helping avert a major mishap.
According to officials, the fire started around 4:30 pm and quickly spread through the record room, destroying several important documents. Equipment including an inverter, batteries, electrical wiring and other electronic materials worth lakhs were also damaged in the blaze.
Fire brigade and police teams reached the spot promptly and brought the fire under control after nearly an hour of effort. Authorities confirmed that the strong room containing cash and the ATM installed nearby remained unaffected.
Branch Manager Virendra Singh said some documents were destroyed, while bank staff later sifted through the debris and recovered partially damaged records. The incident also led to temporary traffic congestion on the nearby highway