Around 80 people are currently sheltering in a church in Barcelona near the incident. Witnesses say that the doors are currently locked as reports circulate that there are possibly two armed men in a bar in the local area.
Spain terror attacks: 13 killed and 100 injured – as it happened
This article is more than 6 years old
Five terror suspects shot dead in Cambrils, while earlier explosion at house in Alcanar is also linked to Las Ramblas attack
Updated
Fri 18 Aug 2017 00.39 EDT
First published on Thu 17 Aug 2017 11.58 EDTKey events
- What we know so far
- Cambrils was second terrorist attack
- What we know about those killed and injured
- Fifth suspect shot by police has died
- Six civilians, one police officer, injured in Cambrils
- Barcelona, Cambrils, Alcanar linked, police say
- Four suspects killed, one injured
- Suspects killed in Cambrils
- Driver in Barcelona van attack still on the run
- Van driver escaped on foot following attack
- Three German citizens are reportedly among the dead
- A Belgian national is among the dead
- Islamic State claims responsibility
- Two people have been arrested
- What we know so far about the Las Ramblas terror attack
- Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel react to the attack
- Police release image of suspect
- Theresa May sends condolences to Spain
- Official death toll is now 13
- Catalan police confirm arrest
- Donald Trump condemns the terror attack
- Reports of arrest and identification of suspect
- One suspect arrested, according to Spanish broadcaster
- Police press conference: one dead and 32 injured
- Death toll at 13 - unconfirmed Spanish media reports
- Police confirm there are fatalities in the Barcelona van attack
- Spanish PM says 'priority is to attend to the injured'
- Reports of armed men entering a restaurant
- Collision in Barcelona being treated as terrorist attack
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Key events
- What we know so far
- Cambrils was second terrorist attack
- What we know about those killed and injured
- Fifth suspect shot by police has died
- Six civilians, one police officer, injured in Cambrils
- Barcelona, Cambrils, Alcanar linked, police say
- Four suspects killed, one injured
- Suspects killed in Cambrils
- Driver in Barcelona van attack still on the run
- Van driver escaped on foot following attack
- Three German citizens are reportedly among the dead
- A Belgian national is among the dead
- Islamic State claims responsibility
- Two people have been arrested
- What we know so far about the Las Ramblas terror attack
- Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel react to the attack
- Police release image of suspect
- Theresa May sends condolences to Spain
- Official death toll is now 13
- Catalan police confirm arrest
- Donald Trump condemns the terror attack
- Reports of arrest and identification of suspect
- One suspect arrested, according to Spanish broadcaster
- Police press conference: one dead and 32 injured
- Death toll at 13 - unconfirmed Spanish media reports
- Police confirm there are fatalities in the Barcelona van attack
- Spanish PM says 'priority is to attend to the injured'
- Reports of armed men entering a restaurant
- Collision in Barcelona being treated as terrorist attack
The Spanish police have asked people not to circulate images of the injured out of respect for their families.
🚩Por respeto a las víctimas y a sus familias, por favor, NO compartas imágenes de heridos en atropello de #Ramblas de Barcelona
— Policía Nacional (@policia) August 17, 2017
Jordi Lino, who was on a bus going down Las Ramblas, said:
First I saw people running and then the van. 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 reported that at least one attacker was holed up in a Turkish restaurant called Bar Luna de Istanbul. These reports have not been confirmed by official channels.
The Ministry of the Interior said on Twitter: “There has just been a massive crash on the Ramblas in Barcelona by a person with a van. There are injured.”
Police in Barcelona have asked people around Plaça Catalunya to stay indoors. They have urged those concerned about friends and family to use social media, rather than mobile phone calls, to get in touch with friends and relatives to avoid overloading phone networks.
#Barcelona #Rambles If you are ok, please Inform your family using social networks to avoid the collapse of phone lines
— EmergènciesCatalunya (@emergenciescat) August 17, 2017
A witness has described seeing people lying on the ground after the crash.
Steven Turner, who works in the area, told the BBC:
People in my office saw a van ramming into people on La Ramblas. I saw about three or four people laying on the ground.
There are lots of ambulances and armed police with assault rifles around now.
About five minutes later I heard lots of screams from the crowd and then they dispersed.
Spanish PM says 'priority is to attend to the injured'
The Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, says he is in contact with all authorities following the Barcelona van crash and says the priority is to attend to the injured.
En contacto con todas las administraciones. Prioridad: atender heridos en Las Ramblas y facilitar la labor de las Fuerzas de Seguridad. MR
— Mariano Rajoy Brey (@marianorajoy) August 17, 2017
People on social media have been sharing videos of the crash on Las Ramblas, an area popular with tourists and locals. The videos appear to show people running away from cafes and restaurants.
Estampida ahora mismo en El Corte Inglés de Plaza Catalunya en Barcelona pic.twitter.com/72LLRmJjRk
— Jordi Perez Colome (@jordipc) August 17, 2017
Reports of armed men entering a restaurant
Reuters are quoting local media as saying two armed men have entered a restaurant in Barcelona after the van crash. At the moment this news is only from a single source.
Collision in Barcelona being treated as terrorist attack
A van has crashed into pedestrians on Las Ramblas in the heart of Barcelona, which attracts thousands of tourists every day.
Police have said there has been a major incident in the key tourist spot and have confirmed it is being treated as a “terrorist attack”. It is understood that police have requested that metro stations be closed.
The driver of the van is reported to have run away from the scene after the vehicle finally crashed into a newspaper kiosk.
Video which appears to be from the scene shows a white van with a badly damaged bonnet, and people lying inert on the ground.
The UK Foreign Office said it was aware of the incident but had no further comment for the moment.
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