Sagrada Familia in Barcelona briefly cordoned off as bomb squad checks suspicious van
Published 12 Sep, 2017 18:47 | Updated 13 Sep, 2017 18:22
Several blocks around the iconic Sagrada Familia church in Barcelona were sealed off by the police on Tuesday evening after complaints about a suspicious van parked outside.
Armed police searched bins, and told shopkeepers to close their businesses, as a bomb squad examined the vehicle. About an hour after news of the operation began filtering through to the media, police declared the incident a "false alarm."
Police said that there were two people inside the van, but that nobody was arrested.
In the framework of anti-terrorist operation we're carrying out checks on Sagrada Familia, TEDAX is checking a van parked in the street
— Mossos (@mossos) 12 September 2017
Primeres imatges dels carrers tallats i el col·lapse de trànsit a l'entorn de la #SagradaFamíliahttps://t.co/I5mbb1sf4Mpic.twitter.com/bTuptwg4Yr
— btv notícies (@btvnoticies) September 12, 2017
Els carrers al voltant de la Sagrada Familia tallats i desallotjats per alerta de seguretat pic.twitter.com/pOuhk75Nnm
— Carles González (@carlesgonzalezg) September 12, 2017
Estan revisant una furgoneta sospitosa #SagradaFamiliapic.twitter.com/MBaxc4SfLx
— Carles González (@carlesgonzalezg) September 12, 2017
INFORMACIÓ SERVEI
— EmergènciesCatalunya (@emergenciescat) September 12, 2017
Estació #Metro Sagrada Familia #L2 i 5 no s'atura a l'estació. Agafeu ruta alternativa#ProteccioCivil
Oddness in #Barcelona just got out of Sagrada Familia and Police have cordoned off 4 city blocks. pic.twitter.com/GHZCEkpyT4
— Bobby L. Meneses (@bobbylmeneses) September 12, 2017
All streets around Sagrada Familia are blocked and police are moving everyone out of the area. Stay safe. pic.twitter.com/W0qsMcEnhp
— cătălin codrean (@ccodrean) September 12, 2017
Somebody knows what's happening at #SagradaFamilia ? We were just asked to leave the tube station immediately + police everywhere #Barcelona
— Sandra Pasarić (@passandra21) September 12, 2017
Estación de metro sagrada familia y calles cercanas cerradas dentro de operativo antiterrorista.. #SagradaFamilia#terrorismo evitar la zona pic.twitter.com/4yRLA0Rck8
— juan Rodríguez Roiz (@drjuanroiz) September 12, 2017
At least 16 victims and eight suspected Islamic terrorists died in a series of attacks through the region of Catalonia last month. The worst of these happened in the city’s main street of La Rambla, where a rented van mowed down pedestrians, killing 15 and injuring more than 130 others.
READ MORE: Barcelona attack suspect reveals bigger attack with explosives was planned
Local media reported that the attackers had planned to set off homemade explosive charges near the UNESCO-listed landmark, but were dissuaded when two of them died in an accidental blast days before the attack.
