Massive fire in building housing SBI northeast regional office in Guwahati
SBI’s northeast regional office premises on the second floor appear to be among the worst affected, with staff fearing the loss of large cache of cash, crucial financial documents, loan files, and lockers
Silchar: A massive fire broke out in a multi-storey building in Assam’s Guwahati in the early hours of Wednesday, destroying property and important documents while a large cache of cash belonging to the State Bank of India (SBI) is feared to have been burnt.
The blaze, which reportedly began around 2 am at Swagota Square in the ABC area near Rajiv Bhawan, quickly engulfed all six floors of the building, according to locals.
They said the intensity of the flames and the thick black smoke billowing from the structure forced authorities to deploy an unusually large number of firefighting units, 25 engines in total, including 22 from Assam Fire & Emergency Services and three from the Narengi Refinery and the Digaru Air Force.
Firefighters continued their battle well into the afternoon, with several teams still attempting to access pockets of fire and smoke trapped deep within the building at the time of filing this report.
The building houses several retail stores and SBI’s regional office for the Northeast. The bank premises on the second floor appear to be among the worst affected, with staff fearing the loss of crucial financial documents, loan files, and lockers.
“There are loan files, education-related documents and many other important papers in the building, and it seems everything will be damaged now. This is the main head office for the Northeast. It’s heartbreaking. I don’t know what will happen or if anything can be recovered,” a senior SBI employee present at the site told the press.
Officials from the fire department said it is too early to determine the cause of the fire. Some initial accounts suggest the blaze may have been triggered by decorative lighting installed ahead of the festive season, though authorities have not confirmed this.
“Right now, we are focusing on bringing the fire under control, and the situation is nearly under control. We’ll investigate further once the premises are safe to enter,” officials said.
Locals said that a series of explosions were also heard inside the building, suspected to have come from electrical equipment or air-conditioning units, complicating containment efforts.
Wednesday’s blaze comes barely three weeks after several people were killed in a residential fire in Bharalumukh, reportedly caused by a leaking gas cylinder. The incident had renewed concerns over fire safety awareness in the city.
Locals said this incident has again raised questions about the safety measures being followed by the authorities. “Sohum Emporia is one of the premium buildings in this area, and if something like this can happen here, we’d request the government to check the condition of other malls and commercial buildings across Guwahati,” a resident said.
Officials said the inquiry is expected to examine whether Sohum Emporia had functional fire safety mechanisms, including alarms, sprinklers, emergency exits, and fire-resistant construction features.
