Another likely terrorist attack has occurred in Barcelona. Following the recent trend of using vehicles to slaughter crowds in the name of terror, a man crashed his fan into dozens of people today. Two people are confirmed dead at this time.
Reports say the driver of the vehicle fled the scene on foot after the attack.
#BREAKING At least two dead in Barcelona ‘terror attack’: regional government source pic.twitter.com/2t7lhA5kmz
— AFP news agency (@AFP) August 17, 2017
The incident happened int he Plaza Catalunya area of Barcelona and police have instructed people to stay where they are for the time being. According to one on-the-scene report:
Everybody’s been thrown into buildings, locked in, everyone’s told to get off the street. They pushed everybody back at least three blocks off the Las Ramblas as they were searching the areas.
There were armed teams, undercover police and the flying squad guys clearing the streets and trying to take control of the situation.
Police are reportedly treating it as a terrorism threat and reports are still coming in about the dead and injured.
Shocking videos show several bodies – including at least one appearing to be a young girl – lying lifeless in the street.
#BREAKING: Police in Spain confirm deaths after a van slammed into pedestrians in #Barcelona. https://t.co/ZV1oTE7lBx pic.twitter.com/qmECByU7kU
— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) August 17, 2017
RT – FoxNews – Injuries reported after van hits people in plaza in Barcelona. https://t.co/BgQ7IlWrQL pic.twitter.com/eHBBbv62g1
— MyDeepestSoros (@MyDeepestSoros) August 17, 2017
The Guardian reports:
Spanish police, who said they were treating the incident as a terrorist attack, said people had died in the “massive crash” on Las Ramblas, a wide boulevard in an area of the city popular with tourists.
The van entered Las Ramblas where it meets the Plaça de Catalunya, then drove towards the port area.
According to early reports, it sped down the centre of the road, which is usually packed with people, until it hit a newspaper kiosk and stopped.
Witnesses spoke of panic and seeing people covered in blood. Several pushchairs could be seen abandoned at the side of the street.
Eyewitness Jordi Lino was on a bus going down the Ramblas: “First I saw people running and then the van,” he said. “There were injured people in the middle of the Ramblas.”
A taxi driver told TV3 that he saw people being run over by the van.
TV3 said police sources had confirmed to it that one armed man was holed up in a Turkish restaurant near Las Ramblas and the Boqueria market.
At this stage police are saying the number of injured people is unknown.
Prayers for all of the victims in yet another senseless attack.
This is a developing story – Faithwire will update this article as more information becomes available.