German bank robbers use too much explosive

Robbers in Germany appear to have misjudged the amount of explosives needed to rob a rural bank in a village called Malliss after the entire building was reduced to rubble, police said.

No one was hurt in the explosion overnight in the village near Schwerin in northern Germany but flying debris damaged nearby buildings and parked cars and 55 firemen were needed to make the area safe.



The discovery of a burning vehicle nearby raised suspicions that the robbers had intended to make off with the bank's cash dispenser but when the van caught fire too they left empty-handed.

"Preliminary investigations indicate that no cash was taken," police said in a statement. The building also contained other shops and the road next to the site had to be closed for several hours following the attempted robbery on Monday night.