Chaos and panic as armed gang opens fire during Mount Edgecombe robbery
Five people have been shot and wounded after a gang of about 15 armed men stormed the Whitehouse Shopping Centre in Mount Edgecombe.
The incident which occurred just before 10am saw the men flee with an undisclosed amount of cash.
According to security guards, the men entered the centre in two vehicles.
One group went into a store while the second pursued a cash-in-transit vehicle.
One employee has described the scene.
"When I was [at] the back door, I had a clear view of what was happening [at] the front door. There was this guy carrying an AK47 and was marshalling all the cars and telling the drivers to stop and the other people where lying on the floor. "
"After a few minutes a whole lot of them came out the shop. They were all carrying guns and they started shooting randomly because they were coming our way. That is when I ran off and went to Shoprite for cover," he told Newswatch.
Netcare911 spokesperson Chris Botha was on the scene earlier with paramedics who responded.
He says one of the people hurt was found nearby.
"One of the people shot had driven chasing suspects. About a kilometre away we had picked him up with a serious gunshot wound. The others were all found at the shopping centre," Botha said.
Police are still on the scene investigating.
(Photos: Chanelle Lutchman)