First published: November 14, 2024 05:13 PM The intense rainfall in Catalonia caused by a DANA, or 'cold drop', - a recurring autumn weather phenomenon that brings torrential rains - came to an end on Thursday. Despite the extreme weather, no serious incidents were reported, and the damage was largely material. Firefighters responded to 52 calls, while the 112 emergency hotline received nearly 800 requests for assistance. The heaviest rainfall occurred in southern Catalonia, where some areas recorded over 40 liters of rain per square meter in just 30 minutes. One of the hardest-hit towns was Alcanar, in Montsià, which began to recover on Thursday morning after enduring severe rains the previous night. Images from the town showed residents clearing water and mud from homes, businesses, and garages. In the nearby town of Ulldecona, the storm caused more disruption, leaving one person with minor injuries while trying to remove water from their home. Five people were evacuated as a precaution, and several pathways were destroyed. Ulldecona recorded 123 liters of rain per square meter throughout the day, causing the Sorolla ravine to overflow and flood four houses.   After a day of travel disruptions, including chaos on the AP-7 highway, transportation began to recover on Thursday.  All affected roads reopened, and Rodalies commuter train lines resumed normal service by morning. High-speed train routes between Barcelona and Madrid, as well as long-distance trains to Valencia, were also fully operational. In Mataró, north of Barcelona, the local council has been implementing measures to mitigate the risk of flooding.   The town is traversed by two rivers, the Sant Simó and the Argentona, which make it particularly vulnerable to overflow during heavy rains. To address this, the council has undertaken "profound" interventions. One key measure involves removing vegetation from the riverbanks. According to Mayor David Bote, the excessive growth of vegetation and the dumping of debris along the banks create significant "obstacles" to the proper flow of water. Additionally, the council is planting native species to encourage the renaturalization of the area and to prevent the regrowth of invasive reeds. Get the day's biggest stories right to your phone Residents in Alcanar say they feel fortunate no lives were lost after intense rain caused heavy flooding People in the town of Alcanar in north-east Spain have been assessing the damage caused to homes and businesses by flooding produced by intense rain that fell over large areas of the country Residents said they were fortunate no lives had been lost when more than 250 litres of water per sq metre was dumped on the town between 12am and 6pm on Wednesday “We had to get upstairs to our apartment and then leave it all in God’s hands,” said Rosa María Sancho the owner of a restaurant on the Alcanar boardwalk A municipality worker cleans up in Alcanar on Thursday Photograph: Joan Mateu Parra/APThe flash flooding quickly turned streets into rivers that swept away all in their path Several cars were carried away and about a dozen ended up tossed into the surf of the Mediterranean Sea Sancho’s daughter Carla Bayerri said they watched helplessly as “part of the terrace went into the sea” A line of mud on a wall marks the flood level inside a home in Alcanar Photograph: Joan Mateu Parra/APFirefighters used a helicopter to rescue three people in serious danger More had to pulled from cars that were caught in the rising waters Regional authorities relocated 58 residents into hotels while another 16 spent the night on cots in a sports pavilion Four people had to be rescued at a nearby camping ground that was also badly damaged Paquita Aubalat was relieved that her 93-year-old father was rescued from his home in Alcanar by a neighbour when it was overwhelmed by water but the important thing is that he is safe,” Aubalat said A man clears out mud after the flood. Photograph: Joan Mateu Parra/APAuthorities were working to reopen roads and train lines made unpassable by the mud and water. Other parts of Spain’s central and northern areas, including Madrid, also experienced flooding on Wednesday. Large areas of Spain’s north and its Balearic Islands remain under alert for storms for a second consecutive day. Spain’s national weather service said there had been an increase in hard rainfall and droughts linked to the climate crisis. “Spain is observing, above all in points of the Mediterranean, periods of torrential rain that are more intense and longer periods of drought that are interrupted by these intense rains,” the weather service spokesperson Rubén del Campo said. First published: February 24, 2025 12:29 PM The Mossos d'Esquadra, Catalonia's police force, have discovered and dismantled an indoor marijuana plantation inside a home in Alcanar Platja, a coastal town situated in the Montsià region, south of Barcelona.   During a nighttime citizen security patrol, officers detected a strong smell of the drug coming from an isolated house near the N-340a road. After monitoring the house and the property, where four potentially dangerous dogs were present, and confirming that electricity was being used fraudulently, authorities obtained a judicial warrant on Friday to carry out a search.   The ongoing investigation is being led by the investigation unit of the Mossos d'Esquadra in Amposta. The residence is being guarded and monitored to prevent evidence from being destroyed and to identify those responsible for the illegal plantation.   Marijuana plantations have become one of the main challenges for police in Catalonia. The Mossos d'Esquadra acknowledge that drug trafficking is "one of the biggest problems" and is often linked to other crimes.  A total of nearly 300 plants were distributed across several rooms, alongside a drying area where 100 kilos of buds were confiscated, as well as drug processing equipment, heating devices, two electrical transformers, and numerous lamps.   v1.1.0. Copyright © 2025. Powered by EBANTIC. All rights reserved. reported severe flash floods in areas of Montsià and Baix Ebre on 01 September 2021 Emergency services received over 700 calls for assistance for 527 incidents including 479 in Alcanar municipality in Montsià Comarca Fast flowing flood waters swept through streets in Alcanar Images shared on Social Media showed around 6 wrecked cars that had been swept from the town and dumped onto the beach Roads were closed and Civil Protection warned against travel and requested residents avoid flooded areas and buildings Over 80 people were evacuated from their homes or campsites in Alcanar and Ulldecona Power supply to around 10,000 customers was interrupted in some areas but later restored Police of Catalonia Police said officers swam through flood waters to rescue 2 people from a vehicles trapped in a flooded areas close to the A-7 road Catalonia’s regional weather service Meteocat said 233.5 mm of rain fell in Alcanar in 24 hours on 01 September The nearby town of Port dels Alfacs recorded 51.5 mm of rain in 30 minutes Other areas of Spain also saw severe weather including thousands of lighting strikes and heavy rain Train services between Madrid and Toledo were interrupted This is the third spate of flash flooding in Spain in the last few days. Record rain fell in parts of the Province of Castellón in the region of Valencia in Spain on 29 August 2021, causing damaging flash floods. Flash floods swept through Burunchel and nearby areas in Jaén Province — Bombers (@bomberscat) September 1, 2021 — Cutxamandé (@cutxamande) September 1, 2021 Los daños por las inundaciones en Alcanar, la Ràpita y otras poblaciones en el Ebro son catastróficos. El Gobierno de Cataluña debe actuar ya… pic.twitter.com/HGDKo2fwBg — Alejandro Fernández (@alejandroTGN) September 1, 2021 ⚠ Per la intensitat de les pluges al #Montsià i #BaixEbre estan tallades — Trànsit (@transit) September 1, 2021 Richard Davies is the founder of floodlist.com and reports on flooding news Cookies | Privacy | Contacts © Copyright 2025 FloodList A collaborative work of the Barcelona firms of Pau Bajet Maria Giramé (Bajet Giramé) and Manuel Julià (JAAS) the renovation of Alfacs is being carried out gradually so that this campsite of the Catalonian municipality of Alcanar giving continuity to a descending sinuous road Two new central buildings are anchored to walls that form stepped terraces for campers some of them preexisting and others newly added One of them (reception and store) faces the entryway the other (restaurant) unfolds toward the shore The terraces and the walls dilate here and there to accommodate auxiliary pavilions designed as discreet infrastructural bays for different activities Planted on this artificial topography are 24 wooden cabins with ventilated enclosures made of sawn boards fastened to exoskeletons that serve as verandas and supports for photovoltaic panels The concatenation of ambiguous spaces that dilute the boundaries between inside and outside has the effect of energizing this holiday landscape built with local stone what over fifty years ago was a small urbanized cove occupied by camping grounds has been restored and equipped with a swimming pool embedded into a circular retaining wall to create a mini-beach shielded from the sea there arent any match using your search terms Archive Architecture Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker The terrorist cell was formed in a small mountain town north of Barcelona where Moroccan immigrants have settled 200 miles southwest of Ripoll on the Mediterranean coast along with a collection of gas canisters and traces of triacetone triperoxide a volatile explosive used by the Islamic State in previous attacks has been charged with belonging to a terrorist organization terrorism-related murder and possession of explosives he is also believed to have lived in Ripoll The authorities believe the conspirators were building bombs to detonate in vans in a massive attack on targets in Barcelona according to an American security official who has read Spanish intelligence reports a man who was stabbed to death by a carjacker who the police suspect was the escaping van driver five men in a car staged an attack in Cambrils in which one person was killed and several others were injured All five men were killed in a shootout with the police Omar and Mohamed Hychami; Moussa Oukabir and Said Aalla were released by a judge but must remain in Spain while the investigation continues police received a call from about 20 miles west of Barcelona The caller reported that she had seen Younes Abouyaaqoub The police confronted the suspect along a road through the vineyards in Subirats your new go-to podcast to spice up your weekday mornings with relevant news and behind-the-scenes from Brussels and beyond From the economy to the climate and the EU's role in world affairs this talk show sheds light on European affairs and the issues that impact on our daily lives as Europeans Tune in to understand the ins and outs of European politics Dare to imagine the future with business and tech visionaries Deep dive conversations with business leaders Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society Europe's water is under increasing pressure floods are taking their toll on our drinking water Join us on a journey around Europe to see why protecting ecosystems matters and to discover some of the best water solutions an animated explainer series and live debate - find out why Water Matters We give you the latest climate facts from the world’s leading source analyse the trends and explain how our planet is changing We meet the experts on the front line of climate change who explore new strategies to mitigate and adapt Spanish authorities have pledged to support flooded areas after large parts of the country were damaged by storms Flash floods swept cars down streets in the Catalan seaside town of Alcanar on Wednesday following torrential rain There were no immediate reports of any casualties but many local authorities have reported severe damage Images broadcast by Spanish state broadcaster TVE showed outdoor chairs also being carried away at high speeds towards the Mediterranean Sea Over 215 litres per square metre fell in the region from midnight to 14:00 CEST according to Catalonia’s regional weather service Spain's national weather service also said that storms produced over 9,000 lighting strikes across the country Madrid and other areas of central Spain saw heavy rains and mild flooding during the night resulting in traffic jams and disruption to public transport services several people were trapped in cars on a road and in a ravine in Vinaroz The stormy weather has also disrupted the Fallas festival which features parades of floats and giant paper-mâché figures Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez expressed his "solidarity" with the victims of the "terrible floods" Scientists have stated that torrential rain is becoming increasingly common on Spain's Mediterranean coast due to global warming and climate change When a huge blast tore through a country house police at first thought it was related to illegal drugs Only later did they link it to the terror attacks Neighbours doubted the men, mostly young-looking and all seemingly of north African origin, had rented the house as a holiday home – despite the views out across the sparkling Mediterranean from this ramshackle estate of properties surrounded by scrub, pines and small olive groves. But they knew that Banco Popular had repossessed it and, having lived through a destructive, loan-fuelled property crash, Spaniards tend not to feel much concern when such properties are squatted. Read more“Perhaps someone should have called the police,” said Carmen Circiumaru “But they never did anything that seemed especially suspicious.” Indeed It was not until an explosion ripped through the building on Wednesday night, raining masonry and human remains on to their gardens, that people began to worry. And when, hours later, a van ploughed through the crowds on Las Ramblas in Barcelona Investigators now believe this was where the events of Thursday and Friday started. Police carried out controlled explosions at the house yesterday morning and continued to pick through the rubble to try to understand how a dozen young men – at least one of whom, at 17, is still legally a minor – brought carnage to Catalonia. Two more people have since been arrested in Ripoll and at least three of those shot in Cambrils were from the town. Only one member of the cell is thought to remain at large – Younes Abouyaaqoub, 22, from Ripoll, now Europe’s most wanted man. He went to school there and was described by former classmates as quiet and well-behaved. Abouyaaqoub was at the wheel of the van that drove down Las Ramblas. Spain is in mourning this weekend, but the death toll could have been much worse. These were not expert bomb-makers, nor, it seems, experienced fighters returning from Syria or Iraq. None was viewed by police as anything more than a petty crook. They were seen as high-school dropouts and radicalised youths – perhaps low-level drug dealers. The house in Alcanar was reduced to rubble by the blast. The first to reach the site immediately saw the source of the explosion – hissing bottles of gas, filling the air with fumes. Police have so far recovered more than 100 gas bottles. Many remain intact. A truckful of these attached to a bomb could have caused vast damage. Police believe the attackers were preparing up to three such “van bombs”. Five hundred metres down the road, the van came to a halt and Abouyaaqoub, wearing a striped T-shirt and white cap, ran into the narrow streets of the Raval neighbourhood. Behind him lay chaos. Dead and injured from 22 countries were scattered across the pavements. One unidentified British victim was still in hospital last night, according to La Vanguardia newspaper. Several of the dead have yet to be named. Read moreAs panicked tourists sought refuge in bars hotels and restaurants that swiftly dropped their metal blinds a manhunt through surrounding streets failed to find Abouyaaqoub snarling up the traffic and filtering cars past the eyes of police police were seeking a second white van from the Telefurgo company that had been rented at the same time as the one on Las Ramblas a Ford Focus accelerated through one of these checkpoints where the already broad Avinguda Diagonal road turns into a multilane motorway Three kilometres later the car was abandoned It contained the body of a man who had been stabbed to death the other hired van had been found – parked outside a Burger King in the town of Vic Documents showed the van (or vans) had been rented by Driss Oukabir walked through the doors of the police station in Ripoll It was only now that police began to realise how young the attackers might be Moussa was preparing a second attack with four others – mostly friends from Ripoll who played in the local five-a-side football league The London attack in Borough Market in June showed this was enough to cause carnage The attackers’ plan was seemingly to find another busy pedestrian walkway run people down and then jump out of the car with weapons Such crowds can be found all along the Catalan coast tourist resorts a quiet resort where most people are tucked up in bed by 1am But this was when the car ran down some pedestrians and then rammed a police car at a checkpoint on the beach road Four were killed after they scrambled out of the overturned vehicle “One of them was shouting about Allah as he ran down the road,” said witness José Ramon Arana “You could hear the bullets zinging as they bounced off the pavement.” A fifth attacker – who video footage shows looked much like Oukabir – escaped but was later found on the seafront but then got up again and ran towards them The first three bodies to be identified – of Oukabir Aalla and Hychami – were all from the town knows the Oukabir brothers,” said a neighbour A rebellious Driss had been to jail when younger but was considered to have mended his ways Moussa had studied to become a school administrative assistant and was on a work-training programme His family had tried to fit in to this Catalan town whose north African immigrants who had attended Catalan classes as the family tried to assimilate “The family say it is better for him that he is dead,” the local Ara newspaper reported How this group came together to form a terror cell remains a mystery None of those identified was a known radical – though questions are now being asked about the oldest alleged member of the cell Nor had they been caught up in the Spanish method for dealing with the Islamist terror threat – which involves arresting suspects on even thin evidence or minor crimes in the knowledge that they may be almost immediately released by magistrates with no serious attack in Spain since a similar gang of radicalised petty crooks planted a dozen bombs on Madrid commuter trains in 2004 More than a quarter of arrests over the past five years have been in and around Barcelona and 18 people have been arrested on suspicion of terrorism in Catalonia so far this year With almost half a million Muslims among its population of 7 million experts disagree over whether there are signs of growing radicalisation But young Muslims frustrated at their inability to integrate are among those most susceptible to radicalisation who have been a common denominator in many terror attacks in Europe are far more common in Catalonia than other parts of Spain with mostly foreigners for neighbours – must have seemed a perfect base A tray sits on the bar at Hostal Montecarlo covered with dust and masonry blasted on to the hostel’s terrace from the bomb factory Future clues about what the cell was planning Spain: Cemex España has announced its participation in the HYIELD consortium which plans to build a waste-to-hydrogen demonstration plant at the producer’s Alcanar cement plant in Catalonia The demonstration plant will process a total of 2000t of biogenic waste to produce 400t of green hydrogen for use as fuel The trial commands Euro10m in funding from the EU’s research and innovation funding programme Horizon Europe Parent company Cemex believes that the technology being demonstrated at Alcanar has the potential to process 300Mt/yr of waste across Europe and produce 30Mt/yr of hydrogen Middle East and Africa regional president Sergio Menendez said “As part of its drive towards reaching net zero by 2050 Cemex is committed to partnering with like-minded organisations to explore the very latest innovations in more sustainable technology that can support the cement production process We are proud to provide one of our cement plants in Spain as the location for the HYIELD trial and excited to see the outcomes from this research and development project.” Catalan police believe the men who carried out attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils on Thursday, killing 14 people and injuring 100 had been planning a bomb attack but were forced to change their plan when the device exploded during assembly Police believe the suspected jihadist cell suffered a setback on Wednesday night when their bomb-making materials blew up prematurely in a house in the Catalan town of Alcanar They then decided to carry out “more rudimentary” attacks using two vehicles inspired by the attacks seen in Nice “We are working on the theory that this attack or series of attacks was being planned for some time from this house in Alcanar,” he told a news conference “The explosion in Alcanar deprived them of the explosives they needed so they carried out these more rudimentary attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils that were similar to the other attacks.” said that besides the five attackers shot dead in Cambrils police had arrested four men in relation to the attacks — one in Alcanar and three in the town of Ripoll Three were Moroccans and one was from the Spanish enclave of Melilla in North Africa None of the men arrested had any record of involvement in terrorism but some did have criminal records adding that their ages ranged from 17 to 27 The driver of the white van that plowed into pedestrians on Barcelona’s Las Ramblas on Thursday evening when it was packed with visitors in the city’s peak holiday season “has not yet been identified,” the police chief said one Western security official said the van driver had been identified as Moussa Oukabir who was among the attackers killed by police in Cambrils was arrested by police on Thursday evening The suspected jihadist cell may have been composed of a dozen people “making it one of the largest to strike on European soil in the last decade,” said the security official Giulia Paravicini contributed to this article The Opinion article “France’s dangerous religion of secularism” published on Saturday has been withdrawn as it does not meet our editorial standards If you keep having to tell people you’re ‘world beating,’ you’re probably not You’ve probably noticed that things look a little different around here today You’ve probably noticed that things look a bit different around here today Our Editor in Chief breaks down the changes Talented young people with their own projects are competing for the Balfegó Grand Prix Revelation Chef Award which will be presented during the congress on 31 January the Madrid Fusión team has scoured the culinary scene in our country on the trail of promising young chefs Chefs with solid training whose work has caught our attention for their clarity of ideas technical preparation and ability to anticipate the future. They are part of the valuable human heritage on which our creative cuisine only one of whom will join the list of 21 winners of previous competitions.  CARLOS CASILLASRestaurante Barro (San Segundo 6 Ávila)The young Carlos Casillas and the small group of colleagues who make up his team prepare a cuisine conditioned by environmental awareness and the culinary roots of Ávila and the highlands of Castile Each of the dishes that arrive at Barro's tables finds a response in the wines that accompany them from its monumental wine cellar Responsible cuisine that connects with the aura of fermented foods SARA PERAL and JORGE MUÑOZRestaurante Osa (Ribera del Manzanares 123 invested more than two years in outlining a promising and challenging concept that is based on a line of thought that is not exempt from primitivism meticulous control of textures and temperatures and an insatiable desire to track down unique products contemporary proposals that break away from fashions and routines. ALEJANDRO VILLAEl Café de Pandora (San Bernardo Villa has established himself as a specialist in the treatment of fish and seafood he has turned this family restaurant into a destination for fish lovers He works with excellent pieces that he receives from the Avilés fish market to which he applies imaginative or updated traditional recipes and with which he achieves precise cooking points very fine sauces in which he brings out a veritable arsenal of technical resources With the sirloin Wellington and other meats he confirms his pulse on certain areas of classic cuisine.MARCO ANTONIO INIESTA and MARÍA EGEARestaurant Frases (Soledad with the only support in the dining room of María Egea Marco Antonio runs an inconspicuous restaurant in the centre of Murcia where he serves no more than 15 diners per service are based on the local larder of the sea and the countryside The work they both do with the small producers in the area is commendable.BRAIS PICHELTerra (Paseo de la Ribeira the new representative of young cuisine in Galicia displays his talent in a restaurant near the port of Fisterra (A Coruña) he develops a gastronomic proposal subject to the limitations set by the territory including the scarcity of fish when the fleets remain moored in winter Pichel breaks with traditional Galician recipes to offer cosmopolitan dishes full of unexpected harmonies The four tables in its dining room have become a place of pilgrimage for those who seek out different cuisines.ALATZ BILBAORestaurant Bakea (Olalde Berezia 1 Alatz plays the dual role of cook and expert metallurgist grills and plates apart from his economical kitchen is in charge of the dining room.IRIS JORDAN MARTIN Restaurant Ansiles (Ansiles The young Iris Jordán is head chef at the Ansils restaurant in the Benasque Valley (Huesca) she has a passion for game and poultry stews and bases part of her cuisine on the recovery and updating of traditional recipes from the valley local and seasonal products are a kind of religion Her knowledge of bakery and her mastery of various areas of the sweet world (pastries ice cream and petits fours) give her a technical mastery that is evident in the way she resolves savoury recipes.  Follow us: Foro de Debate SL Sign up for our daily Newsletter and stay up to date with all the latest news You are receiving this pop-up because this is the first time you are visiting our site You are using software which is blocking our advertisements (adblocker) we are relying on revenues from our banners So please disable your adblocker and reload the page to continue using this site.Thanks in the south of the Spanish province of Tarragona has already passed without causing any serious incidents The heaviest rains were mainly recorded in Ulldecona with 125 liters per square meter over the course of the day where around 45 liters per square meter fell in just half an hour This area has a significant citrus fruit production and at this time the harvest season was already underway for the Clemenules the most important variety in terms of volume as the soil's characteristics in these areas allow for water to drain quickly," says Jaume González which is specialized in the production and supply of citrus seedlings "The direct impact on citrus plantations has been limited but the quality of the ripest early varieties will be affected The same can be said about part of the Clemenules production which was due to start less than 15 days ago has been constantly interrupted by the rains The excess of humidity in the last two weeks may cause alterations in the fruit's skin or even rotting especially if temperatures rise," says Jaume González "The more professionalized sales companies will be better able to prevent quality problems when storing and packing the fruit but other small growers with fewer resources could end up dealing with complaints at destination," says the head of this nursery in Alcanar It is worth recalling that the Clemenules production was already expected to fall in the 2024/2025 season following last season's great volumes The impact of the rains on quality could lead to a significant reduction of the usable production of this popular clementine variety in Spain FreshPublishers © 2005-2025 FreshPlaza.com Police recently arrested two men in connection with $10,000 worth of stolen items authorities found in a Dededo home according to a news release from the Guam Police Department GPD’s Criminal Investigation Division and officers assigned to SWAT searched a house in Astumbo Dededo on Oct as part of an investigation into a burglary and stolen vehicle complaint reported to police on Oct A search warrant was executed and agents recovered the items from the home Officers arrested Ron Carlos Irving Alcanar Morales illegal possession of a Schedule II controlled substance Also arrested was 43-year-old Joseph Anthony Flores Lujan Lujan was arrested on suspicion of burglary possession of a controlled substance in a drug free zone and person not allowed to possess firearms Both Morales and Lujan were booked and confined A night of terrorism in Catalonia that left 19 people dead - including five terrorists - and more than 130 injured began with a botched attempt to construct a gas bomb When an explosion ripped through a house in the small southern Catalonian town of Alcanar in the early hours of Thursday police and firefighters initially assumed there was an innocent explanation All that remained of the building when they arrived was a heap of smouldering rubble Several neighbouring buildings had also been badly damaged by the blast Picking carefully through the debris they found the body of a woman a severely injured man and the remains of around 20 butane and propane gas bottles which had been repossessed by a bank years ago was being squatted by a group of men who neighbours assumed were Moroccan and who came and went on powerful Kawasaki motorbikes Police thought that this meant is was a drugs factory of some kind The cause of the explosion seemed clear enough: it was the result of an accidental gas leak with 19 more people dead – five of them terrorists – more than 130 people injured four suspects in custody and scenes of carnage at two popular tourist attractions Spanish authorities realised the blast at Alcanar was the first sign that a terrorist cell was active in the country The destroyed house in Alcanar Photograph: Jaume Sellart/EPABy late Friday investigators had concluded that the cell’s initial plan was to pack a large truck with a gas bottle bomb and use it to cause a huge explosion in a busy area plan B appeared to be to build two smaller devices and place them in the back of two hired vans But when the bomb-making venture ended with the blast at Alcanar – presumably when the bombmaker accidentally detonated the device – members of the cell fell back on plan C: driving into crowds of people first in Barcelona and then in the town of Cambrils Like other European countries, Spain has been the target of a number of terrorist plots inspired by Islamic State Spanish police said they had identified and detained an Isis cell on the resort island of Mallorca Few people are thought to have travelled from Spain to join Isis in Syria or Iraq – probably fewer than 100 according to some estimates – and no Spanish citizens are thought to hold leadership positions in the organisation But despite Spain’s recruitment of a small army of informers the deployment of an array of technical surveillance measures and the vigilance of the police and the intelligence service pessimists among their ranks always assumed that at some point at least one attack would get through How the Spanish attacks unfolded GuardianThat point came on Thursday afternoon at Barcelona’s most popular tourist destination Picking its way slowly past El Corte Inglés department store on the Plaça de Catalunya a white Fiat van approached the top of Las Ramblas the famous tree-lined boulevard where two traffic lanes run on either side of a wide central pavement Las Ramblas was packed with street traders selling everything from fridge magnets to caged birds children marvelling at the many human statues and people enjoying a coffee or a glass of cava at the roadside cafes it was packed with tourists from around the world A terrorist attack here would hurt everywhere The Fiat’s engine could be heard revving as it approached and to the disbelief and then horror of those nearby it mounted the central pavement and started to accelerate Some witnesses described how the van’s driver swerved wildly from side to side clearly attempting to hit people as they tried to run away trying to hit people as fast as possible,” said Tom Markwell People leave a cordoned off area in Las Ramblas after the van ploughed into tourists Photograph: Pau Barrena/AFP/Getty ImagesMany of those in the vicinity did not see the van at all and then seeing hundreds of terrified people who was attending a conference in the city: “The whole street started running.” When he stopped a woman nearby began screaming because she couldn’t see her children The Fiat eventually came to a halt halfway along Las Ramblas a man around 165cm (5ft 5in) tall and wearing a white shirt climbed out of the van and fled down a side street police found a second van that had been hired at the same time as the white Fiat from the Telefurgo rental company in nearby Sabadell It appeared that it may have been used by the terrorist as a getaway vehicle the staff who rented out the van said the customer had wanted to hire a large truck but as with the London Bridge attackers in June two police officers were knocked over and injured by a Ford Focus car they were attempting to flag down on Avenida Diagonal The car was chased by a police vehicle and officers opened fire on it in the nearby town of Sant Just Desvern Police initially thought they had killed the man they found inside but it became clear he had died of a knife wound leading them to speculate that a second person may have escaped from the vehicle It was uncertain whether the dead man had any connection with the terrorist attack his connection to terrorists has not been confirmed,” said Josep Lluís Trapero Police at the site of the attack in Sant Just Desvern Photograph: Andreu Dalmau/EPAPolice search for a killer on the runThe incident highlighted the febrile atmosphere that had descended on Barcelona and the surrounding Catalan towns as police and the public realised a mass killer was at large a 28-year-old Moroccan-born man believed to have hired the white Fiat van police were revisiting the “gas blast” at Alcanar running more checks on the occupants of the house and searching again through the debris They began to suspect that the explosion and the attack on Las Ramblas could be linked Oukabir turned himself in at a police station in Ripoll He told police his identity documents had been stolen and that he was not the man who had hired the van He was immediately arrested for questioning but officers confirmed that Oukabir had not been at the wheel when the van was used in Las Ramblas attention turned to Oukabir’s 17-year-old brother “I’m very surprised,” a friend of the teenager told La Vanguardia newspaper He had lived in Spain since he was about three years old and spoke perfect Catalan Moussa Oukabir Photograph: Spanish police/EPAMoussa Oukabir’s digital footprint tells a different story Asked on the social media site Kiwi what he would do if he ruled the world Moussa replied: “Kill the unbelievers and leave only Muslims who follow their religion.” In Alcanar, meanwhile, police had concluded that a number of improvised gas bottle bombs, similar to those used in a 2007 attack on Glasgow airport had been under construction inside the house and had detonated prematurely Police arrested a man for questioning over the explosion He is said to be a Spanish citizen who was born in Melilla one of Spain’s two enclaves on the Moroccan coast The investigation had become a hunt not for one man and also began hunting for two of his friends – Mohamed Hychami Abouyaaqoub, a Moroccan national, is now the focus of the Spanish police search for the driver of the van used in the Barcelona attack five members of that cell launched another vehicle attack a coastal town midway between Alcanar and Barcelona Just as the town was closing down for the night a blue Audi A3 car ploughed into a group of tourists and residents on the Paseo Maritimo The car then rammed into a police checkpoint apparently wearing suicide bomb vests and armed with an axe and machetes Two of the attackers were shot dead at the scene Police check a car involved in the attack in Cambrils Photograph: Lluis Gene/AFP/Getty Images“One of them ran right along the pavement below us shouting loudly about Allah,” said José Ramón Arana whose second-floor apartment looks out over the promenade I thought it might be a detonator for the bomb vest.” Within seconds this man had also been shot dead A fourth member of the gang ran along the other side of the palm-lined promenade and jumped off a low wall on to the beach One of them ran right along the pavement below us shouting loudly about AllahEyewitness José Ram​o​ón AranaAs people darted into the small hotels along the seafront or sheltered in the few restaurants and bars that were still open police hunted for the fifth member of the gang “He had a very large knife and had attacked some people,” the police chief José Muñoz said One of the injured was a woman who was reportedly stabbed in the face The final attacker to die was located and shot a short distance away The attacker was reported to have been captured alive Those injured by the attackers had remained unattended for almost half an hour while police hunted for the last man “I could see one elderly man bleeding from his neck And a woman just knelt and held on to one of the wastepaper baskets all that time,” Arana said One of the injured was reported to be in a critical condition on Friday afternoon Police bomb experts later carried out a controlled explosion on the beach An axe and knives were found in the Audi car Four of the attackers had been shot dead by one officer The death of one of the suspects was filmed by tourists using their mobile phones: he can be seen falling to the ground then standing up and approaching the police 0:32Moment Spanish police shoot suspected terrorist in Cambrils - videoFitzroy Davies and then somebody shouted ‘police’ and then within 30 seconds the police came they’ve drawn their guns and they were shouting at the guy and then shots were fired He then fell down and then within two seconds he stood back up walked over to the fence and started laughing at the police he was walking to them and the police started to step backwards and then they shot him again.” Davies said the attacker had been behaving bizarrely raving and he was – I don’t know if he was all the ticket.” Police quickly found that the “suicide vests” were fake, made from drinks bottles, cardboard and silver foil, similar to vests worn by the London Bridge attackers While police in London have said that this suggested the London attackers intended to take hostages one man with Islamist terrorism convictions in the UK had a different theory “They would have worn them because they wanted to be shot dead rather than be injured and arrested,” he told the Guardian many of the tourists in the town’s hotels slept through the entire incident “Our daughter woke up when a helicopter came over later,” explained Howard Yeaton Police later confirmed that Moussa Oukabir and Said Aallaa were among the five shot dead They were still searching for Younes Abouyaaqoub and another two unnamed suspects Catalan police said on Friday night that “biological remains” from the site of the gas explosion in Alcanar had been sent to laboratory Tests revealed that two people had died at the site Vest went unnoticed when blast was initially dismissed as gas explosion raising questions about Catalan police response The terror cell that killed 15 people and injured more than 130 in north-east Spain last week had created a suicide vest packed with viable explosives and were in the process of making several more when a blast ripped through their bomb factory A search of the rubble at the factory in a disused house in Alcanar in southern Catalonia resulted in the discovery of the vest, which had gone unnoticed on Thursday last week when the blast was initially dismissed as an accidental gas explosion Questions are being asked about the Catalan police response to the blast, with sources close to the judicial investigation in Madrid suggesting they may have missed an opportunity to uncover the plot before the terrorists struck later that day in Barcelona Quoting two sources close to the investigation in Madrid Reuters news agency said an opportunity to uncover the plot may have been missed as a result of procedural errors and a lack of communication No immediate decision was made to call explosives experts to the scene of the blast and nor was information about it passed to the national police or Civil Guard headquarters in Madrid are a source of pride for many in the region and some in Barcelona have been applauding officers in the streets since six members of the terror cell were shot dead has said he believes it is unfair to make criticisms with the benefit of hindsight the regional government and central government held separate meetings to determine responses to the crisis they have sought to present a united front when issuing statements about the attacks and the official response Police have also established that the terror cell purchased about 500 litres of acetone with which it planned to manufacture triacetone triperoxide (TATP) a highly volatile explosive that is sensitive to temperature change or impact which police believe were going to be used to make further suicide vests as well as detonators and nails that were to be used as shrapnel About 120 32kg butane gas bottles have been recovered from the scene of the blast On Tuesday, the only survivor of the bomb factory blast, Mohamed Houli Chemlal, was brought before a judge in Madrid for a closed hearing According to judicial sources inside the court Houli told a judge that the cell had hoped to kill and injure large numbers of people with three bombs made of TATP and gas bottles was brought to court in hospital-issue pyjamas he disclosed that the planned targets included the Sagrada Família The cell changed its plans after the premature detonation destroyed its bomb factory killing two people including their alleged ringleader five other members of the cell were shot dead in the town of Cambrils after driving their car into a group of pedestrians All six men were wearing fake suicide vests which has led some observers to conclude that they wanted to be shot dead Almost all of the dead men and suspects had been living in the northern Catalan town of Ripoll, where Es Satty had been appointed as an imam two years ago, despite having served a prison sentence in Spain for drug smuggling. On Tuesday evening, a judge in Madrid, Fernando Andreu, ordered that Houli and a second suspect, Driss Oukabir, 27, be held while police prepare charges. Andreu gave permission for a third suspect to be held for a further 72 hours, and told a fourth that he was being released without charge. On Wednesday, French authorities disclosed that a number of the terror suspects drove to the Paris region a few days before the attacks in the same Audi car that was used in the Cambrils attack. French and Spanish police are attempting to establish the purpose of the visit. Frédéric Molins, the Paris public prosecutor, said: “We are trying to determine the precise reason for this journey and if the terrorists were in contact with other people on our territory.” The group, believed to be three or four men, stayed in a hotel. Molins said he would not give further information, but added that the French and Spanish authorities were cooperating closely. ACN | Alcanar The southernmost towns in Catalonia woke up on Thursday to the destruction caused by heavy rains and flash floods a day earlier "It’s a bit catastrophic—we didn’t expect that much rain," says Laia Grau a town by the Ebre river delta bordering the Valencia region Civil protection authorities say mobility can resume as all roads and train lines are back in operation but urge caution and ask residents to avoid all nonessential travel since emergency staff continues to work in the area ACN | Barcelona Catalan police detectives suspect that terrorists were initially planning a bomb attack in the city center of Barcelona, sources from the investigation told ACN. The police has linked two explosions on Wednesday and the early hours of Thursday in the small town of Alcanar, in southern Catalonia with the Barcelona and Cambrils terrorist attacks. One person died and several were injured in the explosions, which were initially considered to be a gas blast. After the Barcelona attack, police officers linked the two incidents, and arrested one man in Alcanar. A second one is under custody in the town of Ripoll, in northern Catalonia. Detectives are working with the hypothesis that Islamists wanted to use the gas bottles that exploded in Alcanar to attack the Catalan capital. However, when the gas bottles detonated, they decided to change plans and hit la Rambla with the van. At least 13 people died and 100 were injured after the vehicle drove at a high speed along la Rambla pedestrian area, which is usually very crowded. Six civilians and one police officer were later injured in a second attack in Cambrils, a coastal town in southern Catalonia. Police killed four alleged terrorists in this tourist town and injured a fifth.  One person was killed and police said they suspected those in the house were "preparing an explosive device" The two terror attacks in Spain have been linked to a house explosion in the tourist district of Alcanar One person was killed in the blast in Alcanar Police have since said they suspect those in the house were "preparing an explosive device" :: Spain terror attacks: What we know so far:: LIVE: Latest updates on Spanish terror The explosion came a day before a van attack killed at least 13 people in the Barcelona city centre a second vehicle attack unfolded in the seaside town of Cambrils Catalan police said they shot dead five suspects who ran over people in a car One woman died and six other people were hurt Catalan authorities say the attacks and the explosion are all linked Three people have been arrested over the attacks so far - including one man arrested in Alcanar, where the house explosion happened. But the driver of the van used in the Barcelona attack is still on the run. He escaped on foot after the attack. :: Catalonia's interior ministry has provided a number for anyone worried about relatives, advising people to call +34 900400012. On 16 August 2017, an explosion in Alcanar, Tarragona, foreshadowed the horror which was to unfold the following day: the attacks on Las Ramblas and Cambrils shook Barcelona to the core, and it was only in the aftermath that police pieced together the connections between the two events. Emergency services were called to Alcanar, 200km south of Barcelona, at 11.27pm, after a blast tore through a house in the residential area of Montecarlo de Alcanar Platja. The house was reduced to rubble, and the explosion could be heard from miles around. The bodies of two men were thrown by the blast: 22-year-old Youssef Aallaa and 44-year-old imam Abdelbaki Es Satty, later discovered to be ringleader of the terrorist cell and mastermind behind the monstrosities to occur the following day. Emergency services attended to another six injured . Little did they know they had stumbled upon a bomb laboratory; canisters of butane and propane and 200kg of explosive materials, suicide vests and grenades were later found at the scene. The Alcanar headquarters had been occupied by the terrorists as squatters. Es Satty, described as a "bad influence" by Ibrahim Aallaa, father of two involved, groomed the men using 34 videos of jihadist propaganda. In the month of August, 148 calls were made to members of the cell by Es Satty alone. The blast in Alcanar scuppered the terrorists' plans. Spanish newspaper El País reports that a more sophisticated attack had been planned for 20 August, with possible targets being Camp Nou and the Sagrada Familia Basilica. The prepared explosives were all destroyed in Alcanar, however, and so the cell resorted to a more rudimentary form of rampage. Recordings of telephone calls made by the group on 17 August reveal the change of plan. At 4.50pm on 17 August, 22-year-old Younes Abouyaaqoub ploughed into unsuspecting victims as he zigzagged down Las Ramblas in a white van. Eight hours later, five from the cell accelerated an Audi A3 into pedestrians in the seaside town of Cambrils. 16 innocent civilians lost their lives to the brutality of Es Satty's cell, and more than 130 were injured. Were it not for the explosion in Alcanar, however, the death count could have been even worse. Comentar es una ventaja exclusiva para registrados Registered office Málaga, Avda. Dr. Marañón, 48. As parts of Spain recover from recent storm-induced flash floods, other areas of the country, including the Balearic Islands, brace for another bout of severe weather on Thursday. On Wednesday, Spain's eastern coast was hit by storms that led to flash floods in several areas. The Catalan town of Alcanar was hit particularly hard, with a downpour of over 215 liters per square meter overnight. According to Spanish daily El Pais, in just three hours, the town received as much rain as it usually sees in an entire year. The Catalan province of Tarragona was also ravaged by heavy rainfall and flooding, with local police having to rescue dozens of people from a severely flooded campsite. Video footage showed the floods in Alcanar picking up cars and other loose items on the street. The region of Valencia was also hard hit, with emergency services responding to nearly 700 storm-related incidents in less than 24 hours. Major damage was seen in the town of Vinaros. So far, no deaths or major injuries have been reported, though material damage is apparent. Much of northeastern Spain is still at risk of continued storms and rain, says the state meteorological agency, with parts of the Balearic Islands under severe risk of storms and even a sudden sea-level rise. the exploding house and Spain's terrorism plotPolice believe Abdelbaki Es Satty was at the heart of the recent twin terror attacks in Spain.General view of the debris of a house after it collapsed last night due to an explosion in the village of Alcanar 'A big hole in our hearts': Family mourns death of Julian Cadman in Barcelona attack Barcelona attack likely part of IS 'global insurgency' plan as it loses territory in Iraq Police uncover cache of 120 gas cannisters at 'bomb factory' as Barcelona mourns ShareGet SBS News daily and direct to your InboxSign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.Your email address *Morning (Mon–Fri) 4:50pm A white van drives into crowds on the Las Ramblas, a famous 1.2km boulevard in Barcelona popular for its market stalls. The driver is said to have zigzagged through the crowd at a high-speed, deliberately targeting pedestrians, the BBC reported 5:09pm Police in Barcelona tweeted to say that there was a serious incident in the central square of Plaza Catalunya 5:20pm Witness reports start coming in from the scene. Steven Turner, who works in the area, told the BBC that he saw three or four people laying in the ground and his colleagues saw a van ramming into people.”There are lots of ambulances and armed police with assault rifles around now.” 6:08pm The police in Barcelona tweet to say that they were searching for the driver of the van “Don’t get close to the affected area,” they urged 18:08 Dispositivo de búsqueda del autor del atropello masivo en marcha 6.50pm Police sent another tweet to confirm that the incident was a terrorist attack S'ha activat el protocol d'atemptat terrorista 8pm Facebook activates its safety check feature to let people in the area tell their friends and family they are safe 8:18pm Spanish officials confirm that 13 people have been killed in the attack and say that at least 50 people have been injured La meva més rotunda condemna a l'atemptat terrorista de Barcelona. Podem confirmar 13 morts i més de 50 ferits. @mossos @solercampins pic.twitter.com/va0IlQejb0 8:19pm Police announce that they have arrested one man in connection to the attack At the same time they dismiss rumours that a group of attackers had taken hostages in a bar No hi ha ningú atrinxerat a cap bar del centre de Barcelona. Hem detingut un home i ho tractem com atac terrorista #Barcelona #Rambles 9:27pm Catalonia’s regional official confirms at a press conference that two people had been arrested in connection with the attack, adding that 80 people had been sent to hospital. On Twitter police also say that a driver ran into two police at a check-point earlier on Thursday 9:30pm Islamic State claim responsibility for the attack through their news agency Amaq bottles of propane and butane were found at the site 1:03am Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy says the attack was terrorism. He told a press conference: “Today the fight against terrorism is the principal priority for free and open societies like ours It is a global threat and the response has to be global.” 1:15am Police tell people in the town of Cambrils to stay inside because a police operation is taking place adding that it is related to a “possible terror attack.” IF YOU'RE NOW IN #Cambrils avoid going out 1:57am Police confirm that the incident was terror related and that the suspects have been shot Treballem amb la hipòtesi que els fets de Cambrils responen a un atac terrorista 2:09am Spanish media report that four attackers have been shot dead by police in Cambrils after a van attempted to drive at pedestrians Cadena Ser added that one attacked may still be alive ÚLTIMA HORA | Abatidos varios terroristas que intentaban un nuevo atropello masivo en Cambrils https://t.co/Ck8vWgOi5y 2:56am Police say that the situation in Cambrils is under control but urge people to exercise caution 2:56 El dispositiu policial a Cambrils continua en marxa però la situació 2:59am Spanish newspaper El Pais reports that a policeman was injured in Cambril and that the attackers shot dead appeared to be wearing explosives La Vanguardia newspaper reports that the men were armed with guns Los Mossos abaten a cuatro terroristas en un nuevo ataque en Cambrils https://t.co/YtbAaoYMVB 3:07am Police confirm that the attack in Barcelona the attack in Cambrils and the explosion in Alcanar are linked 3.07h Treballem amb la hipòtesi que els terroristes abatuts a Cambrils estarien relacionats amb els fets registrats a Barcelona i Alcanar 3:45am Catalonian emergency services confirm that six civilians and a police officer were injured in the Cambrils attack Un dels ferits a #Cambrils es troba en estat crític segons @salutcat @semgencat 3:52am Spanish civil protection agency announces that the Barcelona injured and dead were from at least 24 different countries 9:29am The explosive belts worn by the attackers in Cambrils were fake, Reuters report 10:37am Spanish police say their search for the driver is focusing on 17-year-old Moussa Oukabir 10:51am The first victims of the attacks are named. 57-year-old Francisco López Rodríguez was from Granada his wife is seriously injured and her niece and youngest son were reportedly also killed 12.30pm Police say a woman caught up in the Cambrils attack has succumbed to her injuries 1.42pm Police confirm that they have arrested a fourth person in relation to the two attacks 3.00pm Police release a new statement to say that none of the arrested people had a criminal history relating to terrorism The four that have been arrested include one Moroccan and one Spanish national None of the 4 detainees arrested on the #Cambrils # and #Barcelona facts had a history of terrorism-related events 3.18pm The attackers in Cambrils had an axe and knives in their car They struck one man in the face before being shot 5.15pm Four of the victims have so far been identified. Read more about them here Contact us at letters@time.com A 12-strong terror cell that carried out two attacks in Spain this week had collected 120 gas canisters and was planning to use them in vehicle attacks that blew up in the town of Alcanar on Wednesday night Police are still hunting for the driver of the van that hit dozens of people on Barcelona's Las Ramblas a mass was held in Barcelona to mourn the victims In addition to the 13 killed on Thursday afternoon on Las Ramblas a woman died in a second vehicle attack early on Friday in the town of Cambrils Five suspected jihadists were shot dead by police in the second attack The Catalan authorities have also confirmed that a British-Australian seven-year-old He had been declared missing since becoming separated from his injured mother in the attack and his family had made appeals for news of his whereabouts Catalan police chief Josep Lluis Trapero has given an update on the investigation He said the cell was still believed to consist of 12 men and had been planning attacks for more than six months four were under arrest and there were two sets of human remains to be identified The person at large was the driver of the van adding that police knew his identity but would not reveal it But police have confirmed they are hunting Moroccan-born Younes Abouyaaqoub The two sets of remains to be identified may refer to victims of the house explosion at Alcanar Spanish media have speculated the two may be Youssef Aallaa the brother of one of the suspected jihadists killed at Cambrils The imam apparently left the mosque in June for an extended trip to Morocco but a flatmate told the BBC he had been seen in Ripoll as recently as last Tuesday "We're starting to see clearly that [the Alcanar house] was the place where they were preparing explosives for one or more attacks in the city of Barcelona," Mr Trapero said He added: "We are not in a position to say what caused the radicalisation of these people." Mr Trapero said police could not rule out that the suspect still at large had crossed the French border although he had "no specific information on this" The father of two of those shot dead by police in Cambrils Hecham Igasi also accused the imam of radicalising his sons It is now known that three vehicles were rented under the credit card of Younes Abouyaaqoub another was found after the attack in the town of Vic and a third in Ripoll Mr Trapero said the cell had planned to fill all three with explosive material to carry out attacks King Felipe and Queen Letizia attended Barcelona's Sagrada Familia to mourn those killed in the attacks Some reports in Spanish media say the jihadist cell had intended to target the iconic which said the pontiff "condemns once again the violence which is a very grave offence against the creator and he prays to God for help so we can continue working for peace and harmony in the world" As the debate about possible Catalan independence continues Cardinal Omella added: "The union makes us strong the division corrodes us and destroys us." These names of the dead have so far been released: Two unnamed Portuguese nationals are also confirmed dead The terror cell behind the attack in Barcelona that left 13 people dead has been dismantled Spain's Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido says Spanish police say the driver of the van that ploughed into crowds in Barcelona The death toll from the attacks in Barcelona has risen to 14 as police continue to search for the driver of the van that swept into crowds on Las Ramblas boulevard Spanish police have killed five people in a town south of Barcelona after an earlier van attack on crowds in the city that killed 13 people Two people have been arrested over a deadly van attack in a tourist area of Barcelona and a manhunt continues for the driver World RSS Follow RNZ News