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Pietermaritzburg – The explosion a gang of 10 men set off at an ATM in Utrecht, during which they allegedly shot dead two people, was so powerful the machine was flung 30m, the Pietermaritzburg High Court heard on Monday.
A "high order detonation" completely destroyed the ATM and twisted the metal that had anchored it, Pietermaritzburg inspector of explosives Warrant Officer Wayne Peter told the court.
He was testifying in the trial of 10 alleged ATM bombers charged with killing two people in Utrecht and a third person at another scene.
The victims, a man and a woman, who passed by the bombing, were on the way to work at Transnet in Utrecht around 02:00 in September 2012. The bombers allegedly escaped with R113 000 from that crime.
About 40 spent AK-47 cartridge cases were recovered at the scene. Scores of these cases were found at the other four ATM bombings the 10 had been charged with.
They allegedly fired blindly at any vehicle that came near them. All the bombings happened after midnight.
The accused, who were under high security detention, had pleaded not guilty to 31 charges, including three attempted murders.
They are Thembela Ngubane, 27, Menziwa Mdakane, 28, Sifiso Mdakane, 32, Sifiso Khubeka, 28, Sibongeni Msibi, 33, Sphelele Dubazane, 27, all of Bergville; Siphiwe Mabizele of Ladysmith, Muthikabani Buthelezi, 31, and Mthenjwa Buthelezi, 27, both of Mtubatuba; and Lungisani Dladla, 32, of Keate's Drift.
The trial was expected to take two months.
