Spanish King and Queen pay respect to the victims of terror attacks

Embed from Getty ImagesIn tourists’ favourite Spanish city Barcelona Fourteen civilians were killed and more than 130 were injured in two terror attacks within 12 hours.

Embed from Getty ImagesOn 17^th August, a white van smashed into people in Las Ramblas, a popular boulevard in central Barcelona packed with tourists. The van driver is said to have swerved to try to hit as many people as possible along the pedestrianized area, knocking many to the ground and sending others fleeing for cover in shops and cafes. He killed 13 people and injured more than 100 before fleeing the scene.

On 18^th August, in the early hours of Friday, about eight hours after the Barcelona attack, an Audi A3 car ploughed into pedestrians in the popular seaside resort town of Cambrils, 110km (68 miles) south-west of Barcelona. Seven people, including a police officer, were wounded, Catalan emergency services reported. A woman later died in hospital.

King Felipe and Queen Letizia, who were on summer break with family, visited the victims of the terror attacks admitted in Hospital del Mar and the Hospital of Santa Creu I Sant Pau, comforted them, and give their support and best wishes to them.

They met the medical team of the doctors and nurses responsible for the treatment of the victims. They held a meeting with members of the medical team to discuss the support provided by the hospital to the victims of the attack.

While leaving the hospitals King Felipe briefly addressed the media, “we are not afraid and we will never have it.” “Barcelona will never forget the victims affected, nor will Spain or anyone else in the world.”

He declared that “this vile, cowardly attack, this murder that has killed and injured so many people and has shocked us all, can not and will not be able to with us, nor with our values, nor with our coexistence nor with our democracy or Our appreciation for human rights. ”

In the afternoon King and Queen joined the hundreds of Spaniards to pay respect to the victims who lost their lives in the van attack in Las Ramblas. They laid a wreath, candles and led minutes of silence in the memory of the departed souls.

At the last stop of the visit, Kind Felipe and Queen Letizia went to the Barcelona City Council to sign the Book of Condolences.

On Sunday, King Felipe and Queen Letizia attended the Eucharist for Peace and Concord celebrated in the Basilica of the Holy Family. The religious ceremony presided over by the Cardinal Archbishop of Barcelona, Juan José Omella, was attended by about 3,500 people, including international leaders.

Sunday’s special Mass was celebrated at the iconic, Gaudi-designed Sagrada Familia.

Some reports stated that the main target of the attack was the church itself but failed due to an explosion on Wednesday in the outskirt of the city. The international community strongly condemned the terror attacks while supporting Spain.