Four gunmen in Venezuela who held over 30 people hostage in a bank before attempting to make a getaway in an ambulance have turned themselves in. Cue slide whistle:

The gang surrendered and five captives they took with them were freed, Guarico state Governor Eduardo Manuitt said.

Police agreed to the gang’s escape plan to help end a two-day standoff in the town of Altagracia de Orituco, south-east of the capital, Caracas.

The authorities had promised the gang they would not follow the ambulance.

The gunmen were allowed to leave because they threatened to start killing hostages. Well, in that case!

He added that the five captives had volunteered to go with the gunmen, who had promised to leave them along the way.

Justice Minister Ramon Rodriguez Chacin said the gunmen were in their early 20s and had been taking drugs, which made the situation particularly volatile.

But freed hostage Juan Carlos Gil said apart from threats to kill a security guard, their treatment was “excellent”.

Kind of like how aside from waking up cold, shaking and disoriented in a pool of what we can only hope is our own vomit, our weekends are pretty great.

Venezuelan hostage gang captured [BBC]