HYDERABAD, Aug 26: A fire broke out in the National Bank of Pakistan’s regional headquarters on Fatima Jinnah Road here on Saturday morning.

Fire Fighter Ziauddin received minor injuries while trying to put out the fire.

The immediate cause of fire is said to be electrical short circuit. The incident took place at around 4 am, prompting security guards to inform police.

Fire tenders of Market, Latifabad rushed to the spot to extinguish the fire.

The fire engulfed the first floor in the section which deals with loan affairs and advance branch which is dealing with President’s Rozgar Scheme, Sahiban and Karobar, etc.

As a result of the fire furniture, chambers and files were reduced to ashes.

It is located on the rear and eastern side of the bank. Fire fighters had to smash windowpanes to make way for smoke which caused serious breathing problems as they didn’t have proper equipment to contain the smoke.

The fire was brought under control after two hours of efforts during the course of which electric supply of area remained suspended.

The bank’s Fatima Jinnah branch operates on ground floor of the building while the other three floors, including second to fourth, are in use of regional headquarters.

No official word from bank official is available as manger operation Irshad Zardari avoided attending his cell-phone.

Regional management team (RMT) of the National Bank of Pakistan, regional headquarters, has appointed vice-president Shahzado Khan as an inquiry officer to ascertain the causes leading to the fire breakout in the NBP Fatima Jinnah road branch on Saturday.

According to manager operation, Irshad Leghari, the inquiry would begin on Wednesday. He said that a report has been sent to higher authorities of the bank regarding the incident. He said the cause of fire was appeared to be a short circuit. He said the air conditioners, correspondence files, loan documents and computers were burnt in the incident.