Fire averted after TV channel alerts firemen in Bangalore

Bangalore: Tuesday's fire at the Canara Bank Headquarters could have been a major incident if not for the television.

Firemen at the High Grounds fire control room learnt of the blaze through news channels and not a vigilant citizen or bank staff.

Without receiving a formal complaint call, fire tenders were immediately dispatched to the site, ensuring that the damage was controlled at a loss of Rs 10,000. No one was injured.

K S Thimmegowda, a fireman, said, "It was a slow day for us, and we were watching TV, and that's how we found out about the fire. No one had called us and told us about it. So, we immediately rushed to the scene." Chief Fire Officer (WEST) N V Erappa said, "The Canara Bank incident was minor and somewhat sensitive. It could have been bigger, but luckily we got there on time."

Firemen attribute the fire to a short circuit that emerged from the switchboard. A Canara Bank official however said, "The fire which broke out at the head office was not major. It was on the 2nd floor of the building. It happened around 1 pm and was on a false roofing.  The staff themselves put it off with fire extinguishers and there was no loss or any damage. One fire vehicle did come to the spot, but the fire was already put out by then."

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