Search for child lost in carnage
AN AUSTRALIAN child is missing and four other Aussies are injured after a terrorist drove a van through crowds in Barcelona, Spain, killing 16 people and injuring more than 100.
Grave fears are held for Julian Cadman, 7, of Sydney, who is believed to have been near Barcelona’s famed pedestrian street Las Ramblas when a terrorist in a white Fiat rental van mowed down innocent people “like a field of corn”.
Julian’s family posted pictures and messages on Facebook, with Claire O’Sullivan writing: “My nephew Julian Cadman is missing. Please like and share. We have found Jom and she is serious but stable in hospital.’’
The development comes as Spanish police yesterday foiled a second car attack being carried out in the resort city of Cambrils, 120km from Barcelona, shooting dead five terrorists.
Six passers-by and a police officer were injured before the men’s car overturned.
The dead terrorists were wearing suicide vests, but there were reports they were fake.
They were shot as they tried to flee, eight hours after the attack in Barcelona.
On leafy Las Ramblas, panicked tourists enjoying a warm summer’s evening ran scream- ing into nearby restaurants to escape as the van sped at 80km/h along the crowded promenade, running down men, women and children for more than 500m before the driver fled.
He is believed to still be on the run and a massive manhunt was under way last night. Horrifying images posted on social media showed pools of blood, crumpled bodies, several children’s prams and abandoned shoes, bags and water bottles left in the van’s wake.
A witness, Isaac, said the van was accelerating along the street.
“He mounted the pavement to run people over,” he said. “We saw the van passing by running people over at 50 miles an hour. It was as if it was driving through a field of corn.’’
Two women from NSW were injured and were last night in a serious but stable condition in a Spanish hospital. Two young men from Melbourne were treated for minor injuries and released.
Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said three other Australians needed consular assistance.
“Of the four injured, that includes one woman, who is from NSW, in a stable condition, but was seriously injured,” she said.
“A second woman, also from NSW, is in a serious condition. She was travelling on a British passport.”
Ms Bishop said the young men, who are believed to be from Melbourne’s west and travelling on an overseas holiday, had been treated in hospital and released.
Jihadi group ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack which happened at 4.50pm on Thursday Barcelona time, or 12.50am AEST yesterday.
The attacks appeared highly organised and were linked to an explosion 24 hours earlier at a house in Alcanar, 200km south of Barcelona, where gas canisters exploded, killing one person. Police found incriminating documents at the scene and believed the canisters were being prepared for use in the Las Ramblas attack.