Madrid Train Bombings - 2004 | Today In History | 11 Mar 17

On March 11, 2004, ten bombs exploded in quick succession across the commuter rail network in Madrid, Spain, killing 191 people in an attack linked to al-Qaida-inspired militants. STORYLINE Powerful explosions rocked three busy Madrid train stations on Thursday just three days before general elections, killing 172 rush-hour commuters and wounding nearly 600 in Spain’s worst terrorist attack ever. The government blamed the armed Basque separatist group ETA, but the leader of Batasuna, an outlawed Basque party linked to the armed separatist group, denied it was behind the blasts and suggested “Arab resistance“ elements were responsible. Bombs exploded around 0730 local time (0630 GMT) in a commuter train arriving at Atocha station, a bustling hub for subway, commuter and long-distance trains in Spain’s capital. Blasts also rocked trains or platforms at two stations on a commuter line leading to Atocha. Officials said there were 13 blasts altogether. Shards of twisted metal were scattered by rails in the Atocha station. People in tears streamed away from the station as rescue workers carried bodies covered in sheets of gold fabric. People with bloodied faces sat on curbs, using mobile phones to tell loved ones they were alive. Hospitals appealed for blood donations and buses were pressed into service as ambulances. Rescue workers were overwhelmed, said one ambulance driver who went to Santa Eugenia station, about 10 kilometres (six miles) southeast of Atocha. The attacks traumatised Spain on the eve of Sunday’s general election. The campaign was largely dominated by separatist tensions in regions like the Basque country, with both the ruling conservative Popular Party and the opposition Socialists ruling out talks with ETA. But the Socialists came in for withering criticism because a politician linked to the Socialist-run government in the Catalonia region, which also has separatist sentiment, admitted meeting with ETA members in France in January. The Socialists were lambasted as allegedly undermining Spain’s fight against ETA. It was the worst terrorist attack ever in Spain. The deadliest attack blamed on ETA so far came in a Barcelona supermarket explosion in 1987. It killed 21 people. Spanish officials had said ETA was against the ropes following the arrest last year of more than 150 members or collaborators in Spain and France, including the leaders of ETA’s commando network. Last year ETA killed three people, compared to 23 in 2000 and 15 in 2001. You can license this story through AP Archive: Find out more about AP Archive: