Madrid 'bomb' scare: Man arrested at Atocha train station after false threat
Suspect said he wasn't carrying explosives because he left them on the train
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A bomb hoaxer has reportedly been arrested at a Madrid train station after claiming he had left a device on a train.
The man was taken in by Spanish police at Atocha station after saying he had left a rucksack containing explosives inside the carriage of a train travelling from Vallecas into the city's centre.
Passengers were evacuated before the train entered the station.
According to Spanish media reports, however, a bomb squad sent to the scene did not find any explosives left by the suspect.
La Vanguardia reported that only a bottle of water was found in the man's rucksack.
Later on Twitter the National Police Corps confirmed the threat had been a false one.
The station was evacuated but has since been reopened to the public.
On 11 March 2004 a series of bombs exploded on commuter rail service Cercanias Madrid, killing 191 people and injuring over 1,800 others. An official investigation into the attack found that it was carried out by an al-Qa'ida-inspired terrorist group.
In November 2007 21 men were found guilty of involvement in the mass killings. Among these, the Spanish court found three men guilty of mass murder and attempted murder, and sentenced them to individual jail terms of between 34,000 and 43,000 years.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments