Two men set off explosives and robbed a branch of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) in east China's Anhui Province Sunday morning, fleeing with 200,000 yuan (US$25,640) in cash, local police authorities said.

Police said three bank clerks were injured in the blast, with one still in serious condition.

The crime was tape-recorded by the bank's monitoring system. However, with helmets on their heads, the faces of the two men could not be seen clearly. Police could only tell they are taller than 170cm.

The two suspects had showed up frequently around the bank before the accident, according to residents living nearby. They arrived every time by motorcycle, and disappeared half an hour later.

On Sunday mornings, few people show up on that road except those eating their breakfast in outdoor restaurants.

The investigation is still underway.

(chinanews.cn January 30, 2007)