Fire in iconic Mysuru Palace, parts of ticket counter, compound wall damaged

A fire which broke out at an ATM kiosk inside the Mysuru palace in the early hours of Friday damaged parts of the palace’s Vrahara gate, the compound wall close to the ticket counter and the ticket counter of the heritage structure. 

No injuries were reported so far and the area has been cordoned off.

Two fire engines from the nearby Saraswatipuram Fire Station rushed to the spot and doused the fire by 6:35 am. Initial reports suggest that an electrical short-circuit in the ATM room may have been the cause of the fire.

However, some reports claimed that the ATM machine was not inside the kiosk at the time of the fire, as it was taken out for maintenance by the bank staff.

Nagaraj, a fireman, who reached the spot, told The News Minute that they got a call at 6:20am.

“We reported to the spot at 6:22 am. 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 bullet were also damaged,” Nagaraj told TNM.  

The false ceiling of the adjoining areas also fell apart due to the heat. The main palace structure is 200-300 metres off the location where the fire broke out. The Palace board is investigating the extent of the damage.

The Mysuru Palace was constructed after a wooden palace was destroyed by a major fire that broke out in 1897.