Terrorist car crashes into crowd in Spain, 13 people dead

A truck drove onto the sidewalk and hit pedestrians in central Barcelona, ​​killing at least 13 people and injuring 50 in a terrorist attack.

Truck path (dashed line). Graphics: CNN.

At around 5:00 p.m. on August 17, information about the attack appeared on social media.About two hours later, police confirmed that Spain had just experienced a deadly attack. A white van accelerated and plowed into pedestrians in the Las Ramblas area of ​​Barcelona, ​​killing at least 13 people and injuring more than 50.

The attack targeted a historic shopping and tourist area in the heart of the city, during Spain's peak tourist season.Police determined it was a terrorist attack and activated terror response regulations.

According to Reuters, witnesses said the truck zigzagged down Las Ramblas boulevard, running over many pedestrians, leaving many bodies lying on the ground. According to initial information, the truck entered the center on a kilometer-long road, hit a newspaper kiosk and stopped.

"We saw a white van hit people. We saw people being thrown into the air by the impact, we saw three cyclists flying," Ellen Vercamm, who was on holiday in Barcelona, ​​told the newspaper.El Pais.

The victim was given first aid at the scene. Photo: AP.

Police have arrested at least one suspect in connection with the attack, and have denied that the attacker was holed up in a bar near Las Ramblas. Authorities in the town of Vic, outside Barcelona, ​​also said they had found a second van linked to the attack. Spanish media reported that the second van was rented as a getaway vehicle.

The motive for the attack is unclear. However, since July 2016, multiple vehicles have been driven into crowds in a series of militant attacks across Europe, killing more than 100 people in Nice, Berlin, London, and Stockholm.

According to VNE