16 Dead After Barcelona Terror Attack
Another Van Into A Crowd
Image: Nine News, Google Maps
16 people are dead and more than 100 have been injured during a terrorist attack involving a van in Barcelona.
The van ploughed into crowds on Las Ramblas, a popular tourist boulevard in the heart of the city this morning.
Quick-thinking shop keepers rushed people inside and pulled down the shutters. Many people hid inside stores for protection.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has confirmed that one woman from New South Wales is in a serious but stable condition in hospital. Two young men from Victoria have also been directly involved, their condition is not known. However they are now back at their hotel and plan to seek medical treatment in the morning.
Catalonia's Regional President says two people have been arrested following the attack. A suspect has been killed in a shootout with police on the outskirts of the city, Spanish media report.
Islamic State has claimed responsibilty for the incident.
Earlier:
Witnesses say the van had zigzagged at speed down the famous Las Ramblas avenue, a magnet for tourists.
"I heard screams and a bit of a crash and then I just saw the crowd parting and this van going full pelt down the middle of the Ramblas and I immediately knew that it was a terrorist attack or something like that," eyewitness Tom Gueller told the BBC. "It wasn't slowing down at all. It was just going straight through the middle of the crowds in the middle of the Ramblas."
Spanish newspaper El Periodico also claims two armed men were holed up in a bar in Barcelona's city centre, and reported gunfire in the area, although it did not cite the source of the information. It was not immediately clear whether the incidents were connected.
Here's how the world has reacted:
In recent weeks, threatening graffiti against tourists has appeared in Barcelona. In one video released under the slogan "tourism kills neighbourhoods", several hooded individuals stopped a tourist bus in Barcelona, slashed the tyres and spray-painted the windscreen.
Anyone who is trying to get in touch with family or friends who are currently in Barcelona should contact the Australian Government, Department of Foriegn Affairs and Trade. Here are three ways you can get in touch.
Consular services
24-HOUR CONSULAR EMERGENCY HELPLINE
- Within Australia: 1300 555 135
- Outside Australia: +61 2 6261 3305
- SMS: +61 421 269 080