Barcelona police view deadly van crash as terror attack

White van jumps sidewalk in city's historic Las Ramblas district

BARCELONA, Spain – Spain's El Pais newspaper says that Barcelona police are treating Wednesday's deadly van crash as a terror attack.

Police in Spain confirmed fatalities after the van slammed into pedestrians in Barcelona's historic district.

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Authorities say a van mounted a sidewalk in the iconic Las Ramblas area of Barcelona, slamming into a crowd of pedestrians. Local media reports say there are several injured.

El Pais newspaper, citing unnamed police sources, also reported that the perpetrators are holed up in a nearby bar. Some local media have reported bursts of gunfire.

Barcelona police, in a tweet, told people to stay away from the center of the city because of a "large contingent of security forces and emergency services" deployed in the area.

Previous updates

6:10 p.m.

Spain's El Pais newspaper, citing police sources, says the two perpetrators of the van crash in Barcelona are holed up in a bar.

A van mounted a sidewalk in the popular tourist area of Las Ramblas in Barcelona, slamming into a crowd of pedestrians. Local media say several people have been injured in the crash.

Barcelona police, in a tweet, told people to stay away from the center of the city because of a "large contingent of security forces and emergency services" deployed in the area.

5:45 p.m.

A white van jumped the sidewalk in Barcelona's historic Las Ramblas district on Thursday, crashing into a summer crowd of residents and tourists and injuring several people, police said.

In a photograph shown by public broadcaster RTVE, three people were lying on the ground in the street of the northern Spanish city Thursday afternoon, apparently being helped by police and others. Videos of the scene recorded people screaming as they fled.

Police cordoned off the broad, popular street, ordering stores and nearby Metro and train stations to close. They asked people to stay away from the area so as not to get in the way of emergency services. A helicopter hovered over the scene.

5:40 p.m.

Police in the northern Spanish city of Barcelona say a white van has jumped the sidewalk in the city's historic Las Ramblas district, injuring several people.

In a photograph shown by public broadcaster RTVE, three people were lying on the ground in the street Thursday afternoon and were apparently being helped by police and others.

Police cordoned off the broad street and shut down its stores. They asked people to stay away from the area so as not to get in the way of the emergency services. A helicopter hovered over the scene.

Las Ramblas, a street of stalls and shops that cuts through the center of Barcelona, is one of the city's top tourist destinations. People walk down a wide, pedestrianized path in the center of the street, but cars can travel on either side.

5:35 p.m.

Police in the northern Spanish city of Barcelona say a white van has jumped the sidewalk in the city's historic Las Ramblas district.

They say on their Twitter account that several people are possibly injured.

In a photograph shown by public broadcaster RTVE, three people were lying on the ground in the street and were apparently being helped by police and others.

Police cordoned off the broad street and shut down its store.

5:30 p.m.

Police in the northern Spanish city of Barcelona say a white van has jumped the sidewalk in the city's historic Las Ramblas district.

Police say on their Twitter account there are possibly several injured.

The El Pais newspaper said several people were left lying on the ground. Police cordoned off the street and shut down its stores.