Van Mows Down Crowd In Barcelona, 13 Reported Killed

A van plowed into crowds in the heart of
Barcelona on Thursday and Spanish media
reported at least 13 people were killed, in
what police said they were treating as a
terrorist attack.

The death toll was reported by Cadena Ser
radio, citing police sources. Police said
some people were dead and injured but
did not confirm the number of casualties.
They said were searching for the driver of
the van.

Spanish newspaper El Periodico said two
armed men were holed up in a bar in
Barcelona’s city center, 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.

A source familiar with the initial U.S.
government assessment said the incident
appeared to be terrorism, and a White
House spokeswoman said President Donald
Trump was being kept abreast of the
situation.

Media reports said 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.