The furniture and other valuables worth millions of rupees of Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) branch located in Clifton reduced to ashes due to a huge fire in bank's basement on Wednesday. The fire took place in the basement of a bank located at Main Zamzama in the jurisdiction of Clifton police station at around 4:30pm, officials of the Fire Brigade said.
It is said that the incident took place accidentally due to short-circuit in the main electric system of the bank, which later engulfed the entire basement area, the officials maintained. Soon after the fire, three fire extinguishers were sent to the location that doused the huge fire after more than an hour's efforts, they added. However, the fire tenders remained at the site as the clouds of stinging smoke continued to come out of the basement due to congested area, the officials said.
"Off course the bank has suffered a loss however, I could not ascertain the total loss that took place due to fire," Mariyam Agha, Head of Communication, RBS said while talking to Business Recorder. She said there were lockers in the basement while some furniture's were also kept there, which have been damaged completely. However, the figure of losses would be gathered after the investigations by the bank's specialists, she added.
In order to avoid inconvenience to our clients, the RBS branches at Khayaba-e-Ittehad, Khayaba-e-Shahbaz, Abdullah Haroon Road and Defence branch would facilitate the customers of Zamzama branch till the affected branch get operational, she further said. Separately, a watchman of a private school was shot dead by armed persons in the jurisdiction of Gulistan-e-Jauhar police.
According to police, two armed men riding a motorcycle sprayed Mohammad Sher Khan son of Mir Afzal with bullets, leaving him dead on the spot. The deceased was the resident of Shah Faisal Colony and was working as a watchman of a private school in Gulistan-e-Jauhar area.