Watch video of brazen highway robbers blowing up armoured cash van in South Africa

An armoured cash-in-transit van was blown up en route to OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 1 April.

The van was seized by armed robbers on a busy highway shortly before noon. The suspects were travelling in a BMW and Mercedes-Benz and shot the van's tyre before forcing the guards out of the vehicle, blowing it up with explosives, and making off with an undisclosed amount of cash.

A spokesperson for the South African Police Service said that the suspects forced the guards out of the vehicle before blowing it up and fleeing the scene.

"The suspects took an undisclosed amount of money in cash boxes and one of the guard's firearms, they then fled from the scene in two vehicles," the spokesperson said.

The two security guards in the van, and a motorist who was nearby the explosion, were assessed at the scene, but were not found to have any serious injuries. The motorist was taken to the hospital with minor injuries caused by flying debris.

It is unknown how many armed robbers carried out the heist. The police investigation is ongoing.