Chennai, Jan 28 (IANS): In a major robbery, burglars broke open the walls of the Punjab National Bank (PNB) in Samayapuram in Tamil Nadu's Tiruchirappalli district and emptied some lockers of its contents, police said.

The incident came to light on Monday morning when the bankers entered the branch which was closed on Sunday.

The burglars gained entry into the branch by drilling a big hole on the branch's back side wall. They broke a couple of lockers using gas cutters.

The PNB was not able to estimate the quantum of loss.

Police checked CCTV camera footages for clues.

Meanwhile, many customers of the bank gathered outside to know the locker numbers which were broken by the burglars.

Meanwhile, the General Secretary of the All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), C.H. Venkatachalam, told IANS: "The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been saying that banks are not responsible for what is stored inside the lockers. But when the banks are renting out the lockers claiming they are safe, they should also be made responsible."

He said systems that trigger an alarm when the branch walls are hammered should be installed.