Two thieves fled the scene after being caught red-handed cutting open an ATM machine in the southern Dong Nai Province early Tuesday.

Residents in Bien Hoa City saw the two men in the middle of cracking the cash machine belonging to Techcombank on Ha Huy Giap Street and reported it to nearby police.

The thieves ran away when the police arrived at the site.

The thieves had used a butane torch in an attempt to cut open the money box, the police said.

They failed to take more than VND600 million (US$29,200) inside the box.

The police are still investigating the case.

Late last year, thieves broke into two ATMs in Ho Chi Minh City and took away more than VND2 billion (US$100,000), prompting commercial banks to apply additional safety measures to protect their machines.

A number of ATM thefts were also foiled in several provinces across the country after the two successful heists.