'Help‚ we're under attack' - bullets fly outside police station

"I need your assistance‚ I need your assistance. Anybody‚ can you assist? Kranskop police station is under attack!"

This was the call that sent the SAPS Airwing‚ dog unit‚ as well as police from Stanger and various paramedics rushing to the scene in northern KwaZulu-Natal late on Monday night.

Once on the scene‚ however‚ it was established that the cause of the gunfire was a botched ATM robbery that had occurred opposite the police station and not a siege on the station itself.

A security guard died in a hail of bullets directed at his car in front of the station.

IPSS Medical Rescue operations manager Paul Herbst was on the scene and said that the security guard had been shot and killed as he was investigating a commotion at the ATM.

He said that the gunmen fled and were chased by police.

"There was another exchange of gunfire in Eshowe. It is believed that the assailants are driving a white BMW and a white Toyota Hilux‚" said Herbst.

-TMG Digital/TimesLIVE