Hail of bullets as robbers bomb ATMs in Boipatong
Chaotic scenes unfolded when armed robbers launched an attack on a local supermarket, robbing the ATMs.
A gang of heavily armed men struck a Pick n Pay supermarket in Section 1 of Boipatong, Vanderbijlpark, during the early hours of yesterday morning.
According to local police, the group of armed men launched their robbery by firing shots in the air, aimed at intimidating any onlookers or potential witnesses.
Residents in the streets surrounding the supermarket were cowered in their homes, fearing for their safety.
Eyewitnesses report hearing three deafening explosions ripping through the air shortly after the initial gunfire going off, leaving some windows broken.
The blasts marked the moment when the attackers successfully breached the two ATMs located inside the store, making off with an undisclosed sum of cash before fleeing the scene.
Boipatong police spokesperson Sergeant Thembeka Maxambela confirms the events.
“Upon arrival, law enforcement officials found the supermarket’s entrance blasted open, and its interior ravaged by the explosive force used to access the cash machines,” she says.
Maxambela adds that among the vehicles caught in the crossfire was a meter taxi, and that – despite being fired on by the gang – its occupants miraculously escaped without injury.
Police are now faced with a multiple investigations, including charges of ATM bombing, business break-in, attempted murder, and malicious damage to property.
No arrests have been made.
