Fire at Punjab National Bank in Delhi, people being evacuated

Mangalore Today / NDTV

New Delhi, May 23: From the fourth floor of a multi-storey building in the heart of Delhi, women trapped inside a bank on fire climbed onto the ledges of windows this evening. Fire-fighters stationed there helped them onto ladders and cranes that brought them to safety.

The fire began at about 4.30 pm at the six-storey headquarters of the Punjab National Bank, less than half a kilometre from the Indian Parliament.

 

 

25 fire engines spent more than two hours fighting the flames. Adjoining offices were evacuated.


No casualties have been reported.

A man who escaped the flames said that he leaped onto the terrace of a building next-door along with some colleagues. He said an alarm did sound through the office when the fire began.

Two hydraulic elevators were pressed into service by fire brigade officials who broke the window panes and rescued them from the top floor of the building.

Police had to block traffic on parts of Ashoka Road and Parliament Street as rescue operations went on.