kasper Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 At least 13 people have died and dozens were injured after a van ploughed into crowds in Barcelona's famous Las Ramblas tourist area, police and local officials say. The vehicle sped along the pedestrian area, mowing down people and sending others fleeing for cover. Police are treating the incident as terrorism. Later they said a man was arrested over the attack. Spanish media are reporting another suspect died in a shootout. El Mundo newspaper said the shootout happened in Sant Just Lesvern, on the outskirts of the city. Witnesses said the van in Las Ramblas had deliberately targeted people before stopping. Spanish media reports said the driver of the vehicle - a white Fiat that had been rented in the city - had fled on foot. But police denied earlier reports of two suspected attackers taking cover in a bar in the city centre. Driss OubakirImage copyrightSPANISH NATIONAL POLICE/ HANDOUT Image caption Police released this photo of a man alleged to have rented the van Local authorities in the small town of Vic in Catalonia say police have cordoned off the area and are inspecting another van amid suggestions it may have been used as a getaway vehicle. Meanwhile police released a photo of a man named as Driss Oubakir, who is alleged to have rented the van used to drive into pedestrians. Local media say he is in his 20s, and was born in Morocco. Live updates In pictures: Barcelona van attack The attack happened at the height of the season in one of Europe's top tourist destinations. Vehicles have been used to ram into crowds in a series of attacks across Europe since July last year. At the scene: By Anna Lindsay, BBC News As I was trying to walk to Las Ramblas I was stopped nearby at a police cordon in the tourist melting pot of beautiful, palm-filled Placa Reial. From there, I could see armoured vehicles lining Las Ramblas and ambulances screeching to get past, a sense of panic in the air. Soon, several plain-clothed officers in bullet-proof vests shouted at everyone to immediately evacuate the square. Visibly stunned tourists were left wondering how this could happen in what many consider one of the safest places to visit in Europe. Local residents could not believe this was happening in their city too. We ran to a nearby restaurant, extreme nervousness and anxiety on the faces of everyone there, getting updates from the TV inside and mobile phones ringing endlessly. The owner told us the police wanted him to close his premises immediately and we had to seek shelter elsewhere. The security zone was being widened as the attacker was being hunted, he said. What did people see? Tom Markwell from New Orleans, who was just arriving in a taxi in Las Ramblas, said: "I heard a crowd screaming. It sounded like they were screaming for a movie star. "I saw the van. It had already been busted on the front. It was weaving left and right, trying to hit people as fast as possible. There were people lying on the ground." Media captionFootage captures people using a shop as an escape route on Las Ramblas Aamer Anwar said he was walking down Las Ramblas, which was "jam-packed" with tourists. "All of a sudden, I just sort of heard a crashing noise and the whole street just started to run, screaming. I saw a woman right next to me screaming for her kids," he told Sky News. "Police were very, very quickly there, police officers with guns, batons, everywhere. Then the whole street started getting pushed back. "Police officers who got there just started screaming at people to move back, move back." Kevin Kwast, who is on holiday in Barcelona with his family, said: "I was eating with my family in La Boqueria market very near where the crash occurred. "Hundreds of people started stampeding through the market... we started running with them going outside right into where casualties were already on the ground. "Police pushed us into a money transfer shop and we've been sheltering there for over an hour." How have politicians reacted? Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said he was in contact with authorities, and the priority was to attend to the injured. The United States has offered its assistance to Spain. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said consular assistance was being provided to Americans in the city, and urged US nationals to check in with their families. "Terrorists around the world should know the United States and our allies are resolved to find you and bring you to justice," he told reporters. UK Prime Minister Theresa May said her thoughts were with the victims, adding that "the UK stands with Spain against terror". French President Emmanuel Macron said: "We remain united and determined." Source http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40965581 http://www.euronews.com/2017/08/18/van-crashes-into-dozens-of-people-in-barcelona-media-reports https://www.rt.com/news/399924-van-crash-barcelona-pedestrians/ http://news.sky.com/story/live-van-ploughs-into-crowd-in-barcelona-10992730 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luisam Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 Current anual world around total road fatalities is about 1.250,000 people! I'm not sure if the AK-45 is used to kill more people yearly than cars. So fundamentalist terrorists discovered that cars are WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION freely available for anyone! 2 hours ago, pc71520 said: Started with Airplanes (11/9 - World Trade Center, N.Y.) and continues with Automobiles. Whatever available to serve their purpose. Of course, you can't compare how easy is to steal or even to rent a truck compared to hijack an airplane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pc71520 Posted August 18, 2017 Share Posted August 18, 2017 11 hours ago, luisam said: fundamentalist terrorists discovered that cars are WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION freely available for anyone! Started with Airplanes (11/9 - World Trade Center, N.Y.) and continues with Automobiles. Whatever available to serve their purpose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jabrwky Posted August 18, 2017 Share Posted August 18, 2017 Yes, this is a terrible tragedy--BUT WHAT IS IS DOING ON NSANEDOWN? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pc71520 Posted August 19, 2017 Share Posted August 19, 2017 16 hours ago, jabrwky said: Yes, this is a terrible tragedy--BUT WHAT IS IS DOING ON NSANEDOWN? Home > News > General News Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xBatmaNx Posted August 19, 2017 Share Posted August 19, 2017 this is sad we Christians are being targeted all the time The world need Jesus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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