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A van has rammed into a crowd of people in the heart of Barcelona

13 people have died and 100 people have been injured

The driver of the white van has fled the scene

A second van has been seized by police 40 miles away

Officials treating van attack as 'terror'

Two suspects have been arrested

One man has been killed after hitting police with his car

ISIS has claimed responsibility

Police link attack with explosion in town of Alcanar last night Thirteen people died and at least 100 were injured, 15 seriously, when a van mounted a pavement in the heart of Barcelona. The driver then rampaged several hundred metres down Las Palmas, zig-zagging through crowds in order to kill as many people as possible. The driver then fled before police cornered two other men in different parts of the city. Both have been arrested. Police are treating the incident as a terror attacks and are still hunting the van driver. A second van was seized in the town of Vic, around 40 miles from Barcelona. Police said another man had been killed during a shoot-out with police after mowing down police officers at a roadblock but said they could not confirm the incident was related to the attack. Officials later said an explosion in the town of Alcanar last night was linked to today's attack. The dead are believed to include a Belgian and three Germans. The Foreign Office said it is investigating whether any British people were caught up in the attack.

TWITTER A van has ploughed into a crowd of people in Barcelona

Shocking photos posted on social media shows dozens of people being treated on the ground by paramedics. Witnesses said a group were struck while crossing the street, before the van sped down Las Ramblas striking a huge number of people. At least 13 people have died but Catalonia's interior minister Joaquim Forn warned: "Unfortunately the number of fatalities will likely rise." A taxi driver told Catalan TV station TV3: “The van was doing zigzags knocking over everyone he could. It was shocking.” The driver has been described as a 5 foot 5 inches male wearing a white shirt with blue stripes. Hospitals in the city are all appealing for blood donations. Queues of people waiting to donate are already stretching more than 50 metres.

TWITTER A van has mounted the pavement and struck a crowd in Barcelona

EPA An injured man being treated in the wake of a terror attack in Barcelona

Aamer Anwar was walking down Las Ramblas at the time, which he said was "jam-packed" with tourists visiting Spain. He said: "All of a sudden, I just sort of heard a crashing noise and the whole street just started to run, screaming. I saw a woman right next to me screaming for her kids. "Police were very, very quickly there, police officers with guns, batons, everywhere. Then the whole street started getting pushed back." "One of the shopkeepers tried to speak to him. He said he saw five or six people seriously injured on the ground, a van had driven into people. "And literally within probably 30 seconds, police vans, ambulances, police officers with guns, were piling out and we were being sectioned off and then being pushed rapidly back down Ramblas."

Barcelona terror attack: Pictures from the scene Fri, August 18, 2017 A white van has mounted the pavement and driven towards pedestrians in the Spanish city's tourist hotspot of Las Ramblas Play slideshow 1 of 16 Las Ramblas after a vehicle mounted the pavement and drove towards crowds

TWITTER Several people have been injured after a van hit a crowd in Barcelona

People were running into shops. There was a mini stampede Witness

Witness Ethan Spibey said: "All of sudden it was real chaos. People just started running screaming, there were loud bangs. People just started running into shops, there was a kind of mini-stampede where we were, down one of the alleyways." He said he had taken refuge with dozens of other people in a nearby church. He added: "They've locked the doors because I'm not sure whether the person who may have done it has actually been caught, so they've locked the doors and told people just to wait in here." He added people took refuge in shops and cafes.

EPA Dozens of people were injured in the attack in Barcelona

TWITTER A crowd of people standing over an injured woman after a van hit a crowd in Barcelona

Tom Gueller, who lives on an adjoining road, was forced to flee the scene when he saw the van hurtling through the crowds. He said: "I heard screams and a bit of a crash and then I just saw the crowd parting and this van going full pelt down the middle of the Ramblas and I immediately knew that it was a terrorist attack or something like that. "I ran away, I mean I live near, I had to run back about 50 metres or so and go up to my flat and obviously see what's happening on the road from my balcony." Asked about the van, he said: "It wasn't slowing down at all. It was just going straight through the middle of the crowds in the middle of the Ramblas." The van is believed to have been rented in Santa Perpetua de Mogola, a small town outside of Barcelona. Barcelona resident Esther Balboa told Express.co.uk: “The police are telling everyone to keep away from the area and several metro stations have been closed. They haven’t captured anyone yet. It’s an area very popular with tourists. It’s all really shocking.”

Spanish Prime Minister Rajoy said he would coordinate efforts to reinforce security in the country. Mr Rajoy promised: “Maximum coordination to arrest the attackers, reinforce security and attend to all those affected.” A source familiar with the initial US government assessment said the incident appeared to be terrorism, and a White House spokeswoman said President Donald Trump was being kept abreast of the situation. He later tweeted: "The United States condemns the terror attack in Barcelona, Spain, and will do whatever is necessary to help. Be tough & strong, we love you!" US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson pledged US support to Spain. He said America would work with its allies to find “terrorists around the world”. Prime Minister Theresa May said her thoughts are with the victims of the "terrible attack" in Barcelona. She added: “The UK stands with Spain against terror." And Sadie Khan tweeted: “My thoughts are with the victims of this barbaric terrorist attack in the great city of Barcelona and with their brave emergency services. “London stands with Barcelona against the evil of terrorism.”

REUTERS Armed police were filmed searching central Barcelona for the driver

Former French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, who is of Catalan descent, said he was “shocked”. He added: “The war against terrorism is our challenge.” Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: “My thoughts are with everyone affected by the horrific and mindless attack in Barcelona.” Jeremy Corbyn said: “Terrible reports from Barcelona. My thoughts are with those killed and injured, and the emergency services working to save lives.” Jean-Claude Juncker said: “My thoughts are with the people of #Barcelona. We will never be cowed by such barbarism.

Authorities have called for calm and urged people to let relatives and friends know if they are okay. Carles Puigdemont, the president of the Catalan parliament, said: "All focus is to the victims in the events of this afternoon in Barcelona. The coordinated police operation has been expanded." Simon Manley, British ambassador to Spain, tweeted: "We are in contact with the authorities and seeking further information following the incident in Barcelona."

TWITTER The van attack sparked a 'mini stampede' as terrified people fled the scene in Barcelona

Will Ako, 26, from London, was eating in a restaurant called Taller De Tapas with his family when they heard a disturbance. He said: "We had just finished eating and were about to leave when we heard a commotion and the patrons in the restaurant rushing from their seats. "I then saw people running to the east of the restaurant and I saw a couple of people about 30 yards down the road crouching around what looked like someone on the ground and they were calling for assistance.

EPA Several people have been seriously injured after the attack

TWITTER Armed police searching the tourist attraction of La Boquira

"Within a couple of minutes, police started to arrive and they were running west of the restaurant and some were telling us to stay inside. "Soon after, loads of cars, bikes and ambulances arrived and then the armed police." The incident began at around 5.05pm local time (4.05pm BST) at the height of the tourist season in Barcelona, which is one of Europe's top travel destinations with at least 11 million visitors a year.

TWITTER Several people have been injured by a van in the heart of Barcelona

People in the area were urged to stay indoors. One witness said: "We are locked in the building, we are not allowed to go out. The area is covered by police, they are looking with guns. "All the area is blocked, nobody is getting in and nobody is getting out. We are really in shock because it is the first time it has happened. "We are waiting for police instructions."

GOOGLE MAPS The attack was carried out in the Las Ramblas area of Barcelona