You mark it robbed a bank.

It set off explosives.

It took hostages before escaping with an undisclosed amount of money.

Their whole operation lasted two hours and this is how it unfolded.

Explosions were first reported it just after midnight local time.

Footage on social media shows men firing weapons as they entered the city in a convoy of vehicles were told.

The Banco do Brasil was then raided on a tunnel leading into the city was set on fire on the police headquarters was attacked This footage on social media shows to get away in a fleet of cars.

Onda.

We can assume that the gang didn't mean to do this.

This footage posted on Twitter shows residents picking up money in the streets, which the gang had left behind.

Well, police say they detained four people already who picked up $150.

None of them were linked to the robbery itself.

They just saw what's happening on the streets.

While the mayor of the city has called this a major assault, this was his message earlier.

Hello, I'm here.

It's City Hall.

After having lived through a true night of terror.

Unfortunately, we had a police officer who was injured on the security guard who was also hurt.

But the police carried out their role very well.

Now the mayor's office is asking for everyone to go back to their workplaces.

Let's let the police do their job.

The police now These pictures showed the aftermath.

This truck was destroyed by fire.

It had apparently being used by the gang.

On here you have a police officer officer deactivating explosives left on the street.

We're told 30 robbers were involved in this operation.

Could speak to Camilla.

Mater.

Live with this from Sao Paulo, Camilla.

It's just a incredible, extraordinary story.

Is there any parallel in Brazil?

Have you ever known of an attack like this?

Well, Brazil records around 100 bank robberies or attempt each year.

Ross, which is quite a lot, but we're not used to seeing something like this.

It is not.

It's, although it's not common, it's not completely unique because we know that sectors off organized crime groups here in Brazil are specializing bank robberies, and they've been targeting for years now.

Small cities, maybe because they think it's easier, uh, to flee security and surveillance costs for bank branches here in Brazil around a £1 billion year.

And actually the biggest robbery in the history off Brazil happened not long ago in 2000 and five.

So 15 years ago, when criminals actually dug a tunnel, uh, to get access to a central bank vault in the city off Fortaleza in the northeastern part of Brazil on, they took with them £20 million.3 tons off paper money with them.

So a big story in Brazil turned into a movie even on for those reasons.

Presumably, this bank would have bean protected.

How do we know how this gang managed to get through security?

Well, we don't know.

Authorities don't know.

Actually, the state governor, in a statement early today, said that they had no idea that this was coming, even though criminals most likely were for weeks now plenty.

The robbery people think that they are from out of state.

So they moved into the city to plan better what they were going to dio.

But authorities had no idea that this was coming up.

So that's why the state governor is asking for help for federal authorities to try to track the criminals because we don't know.

Actually, where they flat thio Andi actually try to get some of the money back Committee.

Thank you very much.

Indeed.

This committee is talking those pictures you're seeing.

That's money on the streets.

People picked up $150,000.

Which begs the question, How much did the gang get away with?

If that's how much they dropped on the street as they were fleeing?