Sao Paulo, July 21: Fifteen armed robbers triggered panic at a crowded zoo in Brazil on the weekend, leading to a gunfight with police that left one of the criminals dead, media reported on Monday.
The gang entered the zoo in Sao Paulo on Sunday, pretending to be ordinary visitors and paying the entry fee.
They then converged on a secure zone and stole $50 000 after bundling up the personnel.
As they ran out, one of the robbers fired a shot, sending many of the 18 000 people visiting the zoo running for safety and alerting police.
Most of the gang escaped using waiting cars and motorbikes, but they left their trigger-happy colleague behind.
He jumped on a bus with 50 passengers but was stopped by police. He was killed in an exchange of gunfire.
—Agencies