Earlier this morning, a State Bank ATM inside the Mysore Palace caught fire. The palace’s Vrahara gate, the compound wall and the ticket counter were all damaged in the fire.
Fortunately, there were no injuries reported from the incident but the area has been cordoned off.
By 6:35 A.M., Saraswatipuram Fire Station sent two fire engines to douse the fire. Initially, reports said the fire could have been due to a short circuit in the State Bank ATM.
A few reports come in have suggested the ATM wasn’t even inside the State Bank room and had been taken down for maintenance.
A news channel spoke to Nagaraj, a fireman who was at the site. He explained they got a call at 6:20 A.M., “We reported to the spot at 6:22 A.M. The cause of the fire is suspected to be a short circuit in the battery of the SBI ATM. The whole machine was gutted along with the furniture of the guards’ room and the ticket counter. Five rifles and 50 rounds of bullets were also damaged.”
Due to the heat, the false ceiling of the adjoining area fell apart. The main palace was not affected as it is 200 meters away from the location of the fire. Investigations are being carried out by the Palace Board to find out the extent of the damage.
In 1897, a major fire that broke out had destroyed the original wooden palace that was replaced by the construction of the Mysore Palace.
