MILAN – Police are hunting a gang of armed bandits that held up a Milan bank and escaped via the sewers, police sources said on Tuesday.

 The robbers entered the Credit Agricole agency in Piazza Ascoli at opening time, 8.35 a.m., through a hole that had been dug from an adjacent building, investigators said.  

 Once inside, the robbers threatened the manager and two employees, demanding all cash be handed over.

 "They entered from the basement, there were three of us inside the agency,” the branch manager, 48, said.

 “When I realized, I shouted 'there is a robbery' and a colleague managed to escape.”

 The colleague that fled raised the alarm while the director, who remained inside, was struck with a pistol by one of the bandits.

 There was "a brief fight but they didn't rage on me,” the manager said.

 A dozen police cars surrounded the building and cordoned off the area while the bandits were still inside.

 Staff emptied the contents of safety deposit boxes, but were unable to access the safe, which was on a timed opening.

 Not expecting the staff member to escape, the thieves’ plans were foiled. Surrounded by police, they had to make a quick getaway and could not wait around for the safe to open.

 The bandits discharged a fire extinguisher to create a smoke diversion, then escaped through a hole in the floor.

 “They escaped as they entered – through the sewers,” the manager said.

 No gunshots were fired during the ordeal.

 Police hunted the gang through the sewers and in the surrounding area, a task complicated by the fact that Milan has an enormous sewer network – 1,500 kilometers long with 43,000 manholes.

 Investigators were viewing the bank’s video surveillance cameras to identify the bandits.

 cc