Many dead in Madrid train blasts
The blasts hit during the morning rush hour
A string of deadly blasts has hit Madrid's rail network during the rush hour, killing at least 30 people.
Police cars raced to the Atocha train station in the heart of the Spanish capital, where a blast destroyed carriages of a suburban train.
Explosions were also reported on other trains, and there are unconfirmed reports of a much higher death toll.
Spain's government has blamed Basque separatist group Eta for the attacks which come ahead of Sunday's elections.
Blood donations
The area around Atocha station, which lies in the heart of Madrid, has been cordoned off.
A reporter for the Associated Press news agency saw a woman with blood on her face outside the station, and medical staff were seen treating at least three people.
Cesar Gomez, a Madrid rescue services official, told AP there were many injured at Atocha.
Atocha is a huge rail station used by commuter and inter-city trains, which also has a metro station.
The Spanish news agency, EFE, is reporting that there were also blasts at the Santa Eugenia and El Pozo train stations.
Madrid hospitals have made an urgent appeal for blood donations.
Spain's political parties have suspended campaigning for Sunday's poll.
Bomb plots
Although the picture is still very confused, suspicion is bound to fall on the Basque separatist group, Eta.
Last month, two suspected Eta members were arrested as they headed to Madrid in a truck laden with explosives.
Spanish police said they were arrested about 140km outside the city with 500kg of explosives hidden in the vehicle.
Government officials believe the men were planning an attack in the lead-up to Spain's general election.
And last December, Spanish authorities said they foiled a Basque separatist plot to blow up a train at a Madrid rail station.
One powerful 25-kilo (50 lb) bomb was placed on a train travelling from San Sebastian to Madrid, Interior Minister Angel Acebes said.
Eta has killed more than 800 people in its campaign since the late 1960s.
The blasts hit during the morning rush hour
A string of deadly blasts has hit Madrid's rail network during the rush hour, killing at least 30 people.
Police cars raced to the Atocha train station in the heart of the Spanish capital, where a blast destroyed carriages of a suburban train.
Explosions were also reported on other trains, and there are unconfirmed reports of a much higher death toll.
Spain's government has blamed Basque separatist group Eta for the attacks which come ahead of Sunday's elections.
Blood donations
The area around Atocha station, which lies in the heart of Madrid, has been cordoned off.
A reporter for the Associated Press news agency saw a woman with blood on her face outside the station, and medical staff were seen treating at least three people.
Cesar Gomez, a Madrid rescue services official, told AP there were many injured at Atocha.
Atocha is a huge rail station used by commuter and inter-city trains, which also has a metro station.
The Spanish news agency, EFE, is reporting that there were also blasts at the Santa Eugenia and El Pozo train stations.
Madrid hospitals have made an urgent appeal for blood donations.
Spain's political parties have suspended campaigning for Sunday's poll.
Bomb plots
Although the picture is still very confused, suspicion is bound to fall on the Basque separatist group, Eta.
Last month, two suspected Eta members were arrested as they headed to Madrid in a truck laden with explosives.
Spanish police said they were arrested about 140km outside the city with 500kg of explosives hidden in the vehicle.
Government officials believe the men were planning an attack in the lead-up to Spain's general election.
And last December, Spanish authorities said they foiled a Basque separatist plot to blow up a train at a Madrid rail station.
One powerful 25-kilo (50 lb) bomb was placed on a train travelling from San Sebastian to Madrid, Interior Minister Angel Acebes said.
Eta has killed more than 800 people in its campaign since the late 1960s.
Comment