Sagrada Familia in Barcelona briefly cordoned off as bomb squad checks suspicious van
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.