The Crédit Agricole branch in Maclas (Loire) was badly damaged by an explosive attack on the night of Sunday to Monday May 23, we learned from the gendarmerie.
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Five men, according to testimonies reported by the gendarmes, launched an assault on this bank branch in the Pilat massif, shortly after 1:30 a.m., causing an opening by an explosion, using explosives or gas, then using a forklift to snatch the safe containing the cash from the ATM.
Risk of collapse
The amount of the loot was not immediately known, the same source said.
The occupants of an apartment located upstairs, whose floor was lifted by the blast of the explosion, were evacuated by the firefighters, who were to check the condition of the structure of the building, as well as a company audit, before the reopening of the bank.
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Faced with the risk of collapse, the gendarmerie's criminal identification technicians and bank staff were initially unable to enter the premises and assess the damage.
In addition to the site machine abandoned on the spot, two cars stolen by the thugs were found a few hours later in the surroundings: one set on fire and another damaged following an exit from the road.
