Gang bombs petrol station safe, shoots motorist dead

A gang of about 13 armed men bombed a safe at a petrol station in Kamhlushwa‚ 92km east of Mbombela‚ before opening fire and killing a motorist‚ Mpumalanga police said on Tuesday.

The incident happened in the early hours of Monday morning‚ said Brigadier Leonard Hlathi.

"The men‚ [who] were armed with rifles and pistols‚ bombed a drop-in safe and took cigarettes and an undisclosed amount of cash‚" said Hlathi.

"The suspects were driving a white Bantam bakkie; an old model mounted with false registration plates‚" he added. As the heist was carried out‚ a motorist arrived at the petrol station.

He was shot fatally in the upper body.

"Meanwhile‚ his car drove on‚ until it crashed at a house nearby‚" said Hlathi. No one in the house was injured. Another motorist arrived at the petrol station‚ to be met by a hail of bullets from the gangsters. He‚ however‚ escaped unharmed.

Police are investigating.