Brazil bank robbers escape with hostages tied to cars during police chase

Bank robbers armed with explosives and high-power rifles plunged a Brazilian city into terror on Monday morning, taking civilians hostage and strapping them to the top of their cars in a brazen effort to escape police.

CCTV video shows the men dressed in black marching hostages - who would be used as human shields - down a street in Aracatuba, home to almost 200,000 people.

After robbing two bank branches, the criminals drove off with hostages laying on their cars’ roofs and hoods.

They then clashed with police, which saw three people killed, two of whom were civilians.