13 confirmed dead after van hits Las Ramblas crowds in Barcelona
By Rod Ardehali
A survivor of the Manchester bombings has narrowly escaped death for a second time after being caught up in the Barcelona terrorist attack on Thursday (Friday NZ time).
Chris Pawley, 30, was visiting the Spanish city with his partner Corey Lorde when he stumbled upon the franticterror aftermath.
At least 13 people have been killed and 100 injured after a van ploughed into pedestrians in a busy tourist street.
Police officers stand next to the van involved on an attack in Las Ramblas in Barcelona. Photo / AP
Chris, who lives in Manchester, told the Manchester Evening News: "We were in the area after the incident. We have just come back to the hotel, as we were caught up in the arena attack - can't believe it.:"
He added: "There was police everywhere and ambulances, the shops started putting the shutters down."
Just to let everyone know me and Corey are ok, gettin a lot of messages. It's crazy here, the shops have put all there shutters down and the army is out but hope everyone is ok who's been injured!
The Manchester native was in attendance in May when an attacker detonated an explosive device killing 22 and injuring dozens more.
He explained he left the venue and were crossing the footbridge into Manchester Victoria station just seconds before the suicide bomber carried out his attack.
Isis has claimed responsibility for the attack, describing the killers as "soldiers of the Islamic state". Terror police have arrested two suspects.
Emergency workers stand on a blocked street in Barcelona. Photo / AP
One of them is believed to be Driss Oukabir, a Catalan resident in his late 20s of Moroccan origin. Reports in Spain say he handed himself in at a police station in Ripoll, 65 miles north of Barcelona.
His picture had earlier been circulated in connection with the attack after police said he had rented one of the vans used.
People flee from the scene after a white van jumped the sidewalk in the historic Las Ramblas district of Barcelona. Photo / AP
Television network TVE1 said Oukabir told police his documents had been stolen by his brother. Police were investigating whether he played any role in the attacks, it reported.
Horrifying pictures and video from the scene show armed police and paramedics rushing around Las Ramblas, a busy promenade in the centre of the city, as victims lie hurt in the street.
It remains unclear how many attackers were involved in the massacre, which is being treated by police as an act of terrorism.
