CHENNAI: A day after a major fire damaged the heritage building that housed the State Bank of India branch at Parrys Corner here, staff led by senior officials spent a busy Sunday salvaging cash, documents and equipment from the building, braving smoke that continued to emanate and even rumours of a fresh fire.
Bank officials, who were at the spot, said the shifting was almost over by evening. An SBI official said computers, cash and files were being taken to three different bank branches.
While there were rumours that a fresh fire broke out in the building in the wee hours of Sunday, the fire and rescue personnel stationed at the spot said there was no such incident.
“Since it’s a massive structure, smoke will emanate for some time. Two fire tenders were stationed at the spot as a precaution throughout Sunday,” said Venugopal, a fire officer.
Bank officials said they will wait for the State government’s decision on whether there was a possibility of repairing the building. “Government agencies will soon inspect the building. But it’s too early to decide on its fate,” an official said.
A team of officials from the Department of Archaeology will inspect the building, a 118-year-old structure that was commissioned during the British era. More: P3