Chennai, Mar 8 (IANS): A bunker built by the then British rulers during World War 1 was discovered accidentally at an old building in the American College in Tamil Nadu's Madurai.

Talking to IANS, College Principal Davamani Christober said: "During WWI, British had built bunkers in any new buildings that were constructed. This bunker would also have been made during that period. The bunker was built under the James Hall Building and the foundation stone for the building was laid on March 1, 1912, which is just before the World War I."

The bunker was discovered accidentally while the workers were cleaning and it has one entrance that extends underground.

"We accidentally discovered the bunker which was used as storage for junk material like old furniture and when we cleared the area, it was found that it was a huge hall and there were four exits. However the exits were buried in sand and stone in the ground and no one has noticed it earlier," said Christober.

He said that one of the exits that were on the ground floor of the James Hall has been cleared and kept covered.

The bunker is about 10 ft high and is built with iron girders which were made in UK's Newcastle.

College authorities said that the bunker would be converted into a museum and the collection of old coins, artefacts, and manuscripts in college will be displayed in it.