- Title: German Foreign Minister says 'coward murderers' responsible for Barcelona attack
- Date: 18th August 2017
- Summary: BARCELONA, SPAIN (AUGUST 18, 2017) (REUTERS) GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER SIGMAR GABRIEL AT HOSPITAL DEL MAR IN BARCELONA (SOUNDBITE) GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER, SIGMAR GABRIEL, SAYING: "The French Foreign Minister and I came here today firstly to show our solidarity to the Spanish government and the Spanish population. You know France and Germany also had to overcome such attacks. These attacks are not targeting only France - over 30 countries have had victims. This is targeting the free world, and what we understand as democratic coexistence. We will stand together, but of course we also want to see how the victims are doing, they are German victims and thank god some of them have already been given medical clearance, others are still here and only a few are in critical condition." HOSPITAL ENTRANCE (SOUNDBITE) GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER, SIGMAR GABRIEL, SAYING: "Until now there is no confirmation but we assume that some of the people that were murdered were not carrying their passports with them and that is why the Spanish authorities are cautious, and I find it correct that there are no false statements around. But there are many victims from over 30 countries and also children among them, Spanish children for instance. I am a father of three, and that makes thoughts go through your head. We are also here to help parents who are here a little bit." EXTERIOR OF HOSPITAL (SOUNDBITE) GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER, SIGMAR GABRIEL, SAYING: "I think everybody who thinks about it for a second knows they were sadly in a situation in which there is no security. And of course, a strong guess is that the defeat of the terrorists and the Islamic State in Northern Africa has been so successful that some want to show that it still lives." AMBULANCE PARKED AT HOSPITAL (SOUNDBITE) GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER, SIGMAR GABRIEL, SAYING: "We are quite sure that Spain will still be visited, we don't need to give any travel warning. but of course people feel insecure. But, once again, the Spanish security services have prevented worse things." EXTERIOR OF HOSPITAL (SOUNDBITE) GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER, SIGMAR GABRIEL, SAYING: "We try to work together as hard as we can nationally and internationally but these are coward murderers incited by fanatic propaganda. Here, very young people died who were caught in their claws. They later died themselves. That is a development that we unfortunately have seen worldwide but also in Europe, and we can't be scared and we can't let them frighten us." GABRIEL WALKING INTO HOSPITAL
- Embargoed: 1st September 2017 23:00
- Keywords: Spain attack Barcelona hospital victims coward murderers Las Ramblas
- Location: BARCELONA, SPAIN
- City: BARCELONA, SPAIN
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Crime
- Reuters ID: LVA0016UORKG7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel has visited victims of Thursday's attack in Barcelona in hospital.
The driver of the van that ploughed into crowds in the city, killing 13 people, may still be alive and at large, Spanish police said on Friday (August 18), denying earlier media reports that he had been shot dead in a Catalan seaside resort.
Josep Lluis Trapero, police chief in Spain's northeastern region of Catalonia, said he could not confirm the driver was one of five men killed.
The driver abandoned the van and fled on Thursday after speeding along a section of Las Ramblas, the most famous boulevard in Barcelona, leaving a trail of dead and injured among the crowds of tourists and local residents thronging the street. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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