A second van linked to an attack that killed 13 people in Barcelona has been found in the small town of Vic in Catalonia, local authorities there have said.

Police had cordoned off the area and were inspecting the vehicle, the city council said.

Another van earlier mounted the pavement and smashed through a crowd in Las Ramblas, a busy tourist district in central Barcelona, leaving a trail of bodies in its wake.

Police immediately cordoned off the road and ordered shops and nearby Metro and train stations to close.

As well as the 13 dead, 50 people have been injured, some seriously.

A suspect has been arrested and another killed in a shootout with police, according to reports.

Spanish media had earlier reported that a second van had been rented as a getaway car by attackers.

Earlier reports that hostages had been taken by armed men in a bar dismissed by police.

The passport of a Spanish citizen, of Moroccan origin, was found at the scene.