Three South African policemen were killed and another wounded in a gunbattle with some 20 armed robbers in central Johannesburg on Sunday noon.  

One Chinese businessman was also shot in the stomach in the gunbattle and was rushed to a local hospital. His condition became stable after an emergency operation to take out the bullet.

The robbers entered into a Chinese-owned warehouse near Jeppes town and demanded money while holding the owner at gunpoint. They started shooting randomly and four policemen, who were inside the warehouse, were shot, according to Johannesburg Police spokesman Sanku Tsunke.

Two policemen died at the scene and another two were taken to a local hospital where one died later. The injured policeman was in a critical condition, Tsunke said.

The gang fled after the robbery except a man suspected to be a member of the gang was shot in the leg and was taken to another hospital where he was under police guard, said Tsunke.

An eyewitness told Xinhua that the gunbattle occurred while the first group of armed robbers in blue and green dresses approached the wool blanket wholesale market run by the Chinese businessman from Nantong City of east China's Jiangsu Province.

She said that the second group of armed robbers rushed into the warehouse shortly after the gunbattle started. Policemen were killed and wounded because there were too many armed robbers on the spot.

The injured Chinese businessman Xue Chao, about 40, underwent an operation at Bedford Garden Hospital and has been in stable condition.

"I saw black people shooting at me. I miss my family now," Xue, who came to South Africa just about one month ago, told Xinhua.

South Africa is known for its high crime rate as official statistics show that about 200 rape cases, 55 murders and some 800 house burglaries take place each day on average. Foreigners are often exposed to the danger of being at gunpoint by armed robbers.

(Xinhua News Agency May 17, 2004)