The World - News from Feb. 10, 1987

A police tactical team stormed a bank in Marseilles, France, and freed 23 people who were held hostage all day by a seven-man gang of armed robbers. Meanwhile, the robbers escaped through a 50-foot tunnel they had dug to the building from a main sewer line. An investigator said safety deposit boxes in the bank had been broken open, but it was uncertain how much money and valuables had been stolen. Police said it appeared the gunmen broke into the bank before dawn and were surprised by the night guard. After the bank opened for business, they took the hostages and demanded a $4.8-million ransom, which was not paid.