Unknown armed robbers in Zimbabwe’s capital Harare went away with US$250,000 (K196,250,000) after blowing up the safe of a top private school, police have confirmed.

Police said a gang of eight men armed with handguns stormed the US$2,200-per-term Gateway High School in Harare’s Emerald Hill neighborhood at around midnight on Saturday.

In a statement, the school said the gang “blew up the strong room in the administration center using dynamite to gain access.”

Gateway board of trustees chairperson Sarah Cross said the school “has night guards, and we work through a security firm, and all of this will be part of the investigations.”

Meanwhile, the police have bemoaned an increase in armed robberies in recent months while stressing that some of the high-profile robberies have targeted financial services firms, fuel service stations, and cash-in-transit vans.