Angul: Robbers looted a branch of Andhra Bank in the city on Friday morning. Before the police could arrive, they decamped with Rs 23 lakh and gold jewellery. They also took away the hard disc of CCTV cameras, police said.

Around 10.30am, there were hardly 20 people besides staff members at the bank when five to six armed men barged in.

They were carrying pistols and sharp weapons.

An eye witness said that they first scared the customers at the gunpoint and asked them to go to a room where they were locked. They threatened the staff members and assaulted some of them before looting cash and ornaments.

"We were at the bank for some work when these men entered and locked the main gate. They threatened us with pistols and locked us in a room. Then they started beating some of the bank staff members and looted money. They were speaking in Hindi. They took away our mobile phones, " said one of the witnesses Pradip Bhoi.

The robbers were at the bank for nearly one hour.

It is suspected that they had come in two motorcycles. The police said they was not sure how many people were involved in the incident.

Senior officials, including the district superintendent of police Mitrabhanu Mahapatra, rushed to the spot and launched a man hunt to nab the culprits.

A scientific team and a dog squad were pressed into service in the afternoon. Bank officials remained tight-lipped about the incident. Meanwhile, the police have sounded a state wide alert to nab the culprits and blocked the exit routes of the district.

Mahapatra said cops had found some clues and initiated a probe.

"The search operation is on. The dacoits have taken away Rs 23 lakh and some gold jewellery. We are hopeful of solving the case," Mahapatra said.