A van crashed into dozens of people in the center of Barcelona on Thursday and Spanish media said at least two people were killed. Police said several people were injured and described the incident on Twitter as a "massive crash". A police spokesman said he could not confirm any deaths or that the incident was being treated as terrorism. Soon afterwards, Spain's El Periodico newspaper reported that two armed men were holed up in a bar in Barcelona's city center, and reported gunfire in the area, although it did not cite the source of the information. It was not immediately clear whether the incidents were connected. Following the van crash, emergency services said people should not go to the area around Barcelona's Placa Catalunya, one of the city's main squares at the top of the famous Las Ramblas avenue, and requested the closure of nearby train and metro stations. El Pais newspaper said the driver of the vehicle had fled on foot after mowing down dozens of people. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said he was in contact with authorities, and the priority was to attend to the injured. The incident took place at the height of the tourist season in Barcelona, which is one of Europe's top travel destinations with at least 11 million visitors a year. Catalan police said on Twitter a van crash in Barcelona's city centre that caused deaths and injuries was being treated as a terrorist attack.
