Thieves used a large drill to break into a safe at a high street bank branch in western Germany and steal an estimated €30m (£26m; $35m) in cash and valuables, police have said.
A police spokesman likened the break-in to the Hollywood heist film Ocean's Eleven, telling AFP news agency it was very professionally executed.
During the heist at Sparkasse savings bank in the city of Gelsenkirchen, thieves breached more than 3,000 safe deposit boxes containing cash, gold, and jewellery.
Gelsenkirchen Police became aware of the crime after a fire alarm was set off in the early hours of Monday morning.
Currently, no arrests have been made, and the perpetrators remain at large.
Police said the thieves had used the quiet Christmas days to rob the building on Nienhofstrasse in the Buer district.
Initial investigations suggest they gained access to the bank, and escaped, via an adjacent parking garage.
Witnesses reported seeing several men carrying large bags in the staircase of the garage overnight from Saturday into Sunday.
Video footage shows a black Audi RS 6 leaving the garage on De-La-Chevallerie-Strasse early on Monday morning.
The hole into the underground vault room was discovered when a fire alarm was triggered, prompting a search by police and the fire brigade.
Affected bank customers have been asked to contact Sparkasse, which has set up a hotline. Police secured the branch's entrance on Tuesday after a large number of customers gathered outside seeking information.
A notice on the bank's website indicated that the branch would remain closed on Tuesday following the break-in.
Sparkasse noted that 95% of customers' safe deposit boxes had been forced open by the thieves, indicating a very high chance of being affected.
The bank stated that the contents of each compartment are insured up to €10,300 and advised customers to check for additional coverage through their home insurance.
