- Title: German church youth group among injured in Barcelona attack
- Date: 18th August 2017
- Summary: OBERHAUSEN, GERMANY (AUGUST 18, 2017) (REUTERS) EVANGELICAL CHURCH IN THE RHINELAND SPOKESMAN JENS PETER IVEN, AND YOUTH GROUP LEADER PETER SEEGER, GIVING NEWS CONFERENCE DECORATIVE CANDLES (SOUNDBITE) (German) EVANGELICAL CHURCH IN THE RHINELAND SPOKESMAN, JENS PETER IVEN, SAYING: "A youth group, travelling with the YMCA Schmachtendorf which does youth work in this congregation, was on a campground near Barcelona, and yesterday went on a day trip to Barcelona. The group came upon the attack on Las Ramblas and in fleeing, three girls were injured. They have broken bones, which have at least been set, and were sent to a hospital." IVEN SPEAKING AT NEWS CONFERENCE STAINED GLASS WINDOW (SOUNDBITE) (German) EVANGELICAL CHURCH IN THE RHINELAND SPOKESMAN, JENS PETER IVEN, SAYING: "The rest of the group is now preparing for the trip home. Leisure time is over clearly given the situation. It can also be guessed that they aren't doing well, such an experience is a trauma which is not expected, breaking out of a bright sky over them. Accordingly the congregation is seeing to it in this moment that when they come back, they get help and support, pastoral help and emergency pastoral help." STAINED GLASS WINDOW MUNICH, GERMANY (AUGUST 18, 2017) (REUTERS) PEOPLE WAITING AT ARRIVALS GATE ARRIVALS BOARD SHOWING FLIGHT FROM BARCELONA VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WAITING PASSENGERS EMERGING (SOUNDBITE) (German) PASSENGER ARRIVING FROM BARCELONA, OTTO GERDESBERGER, SAYING: "Many sad people could be seen, especially those coming from Las Ramblas, crying faces, frightened faces. Then shops closed very quickly and the hotels tried to capture people." (SOUNDBITE) (German) PASSENGER ARRIVING FROM BARCELONA, JOSEPH RAMON, SAYING: "We came out of a record store and walked in the direction of Las Ramblas, and then heard a strange bang, a loud noise, it sounded a little like a gun. And then dozens, hundreds of people screamed and ran in all directions and we hid in the store and after 10 minutes came out and there were police everywhere." (SOUNDBITE) (German) PASSENGER ARRIVING FROM BARCELONA, HELMUT SCHIEGEL, SAYING: "We experienced it in the hotel. It was terrible, because we were exactly in the spot on Las Ramblas where the misfortune took place for 45 minutes. In hindsight: bad, I'll say." PEOPLE STANDING IN FRONT OF FLIGHT ARRIVAL BOARD
- Embargoed: 1st September 2017 16:14
- Keywords: Barcelona Spain Las Ramblas attack reactions travellers Oberhausen church youth group
- Location: OBERHAUSEN / MUNICH, GERMANY
- City: OBERHAUSEN / MUNICH, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,International/National Security
- Reuters ID: LVA0016UOQ0CN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Members of a German Protestant youth group were among those injured after a van ploughed into crowds in a tourist hotspot in Barcelona, the Evangelical Church of the Rhineland told reporters in a news conference on Friday (August 18).
Three girls sustained non-life-threatening injuries on what was meant to be a fun daytrip during a camping expedition, and they were understandably shaken up, a church spokesman said.
The van driver fled after speeding along a pedestrianised section of Las Ramblas, the most famous boulevard in Barcelona, on Thursday (August 17), leaving a trail of dead and injured in the latest of a string of attacks across Europe in which militants have used vehicles as weapons.
Passengers at Munich airport arriving from Barcelona spoke of the aftermath of the attack on Las Ramblas.
Spanish police have not yet identified the driver of a van and are also trying to pin down links between the Barcelona attackers and a group of five assailants, armed with an axe and knives and wearing fake explosive belts, who were shot dead by police hours later in Cambrils, a seaside resort further down the Mediterranean coast. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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