Terrifying moment woman steals security guard's gun and opens fire as she was being detained at packed market in Chile, shooting three people

This is the terrifying moment a woman grabbed a security guard's gun and opened fire while she was being bundled into the back of a police van.

Three people were injured in the violent incident which occurred on Monday outside a busy Chilean market as the woman was being detained.

Footage of the incident shows the unnamed woman's arms were being held behind her back as she was being moved towards a detention van by two armoured guards.

As she reached the van, a third guard in a high-vis jacket stepped out of the front seat and opened the rear doors so that she could be put into the back of the vehicle.

However, before she was guided into the van, she was able to reach behind her and pull a revolver from the holster of the guard who was holding her arms.

This is the dramatic moment a woman grabbed a guard's gun and opened fire while she was being bundled into the back of a police van

With he arms held behind her back, the woman was able to reach into a guard's holster and pull out what appeared to be a revolver, before firing off several shots

Bystanders - as well as one of the armoured guards - scattered as she opened fire, with the guard even jumping over a concrete wall to get to safety

The woman is seen after opening fire with the guard's gun being taken to another police car

It was only when the third guard who had opened the door turned around that he noticed she had pulled the gun out of the holster. By this point, it was too late.

With her arms still held behind her back, the woman was able to fire off several rounds, causing panic among bystanders.

The first round was fired into the floor causing the three guards to jump back, startled, with the guard bringing up the rear jumping behind a concrete barrier.

As the other two attempted to wrest the firearm from her grip, the woman was able to twist around from the guard's grip and fire off several more shots into a crowd.

People watching the incident unfold - including the cameraman - were forced to run back through the market and away from the angry gunwoman.

Three people were wounded in the shooting, including a guard and the cameraman who captured the  moment on a livestream.

He was later seen in photographs bent over in pain clutching his stomach.

The cameraman was taken to hospital with serious injuries, but was in a stable condition, according to national newspaper La Nación - cited by the BBC .

People are seen running through the market, fleeing from the woman with the gun

A cameraman is assisted by a colleague after being injured by the woman

The cameraman was taken to hospital with serious injuries, but was in a stable condition, according to national newspaper La Nación - cited by the BBC

The woman is detained after she grabbed a security guard's weapon and fired it, injuring three people, outside the Lo Valledor wholesale market in Santiago, Chile, Monday, April 1

As for the woman, she was subdued and was later seen in another clip being bundled into the back of a different police vehicle.

At one point she appeared to be laughing. 

The violence broke out as Chilean officials were announcing new security measures at the Lo Valledor Wholesale Market that were being implemented within a week, designed to crack down on local crime.

One new measure that has caused controversy requires a Chilean identity card to enter the market.