A van has hit pedestrians on a walkway in Barcelona, Spanish police are reporting.
According to early reports, the vehicle struck pedestrians on Las Ramblas, a popular tourist hot spot and ‘several people’ have been injured.
Police have confirmed they are now searching for the driver of the van, which crashed into crowds at around 5pm local time.
Emergency services are urging people to ‘stay away’ from the area around Placa Catalunya.
Marc Esparcia, a student living in Barcelona, told the BBC:
There was a loud noise and everybody ran for cover. There were a lot people, lots of families [at the site], this is one of the most visited sites in Barcelona.
I think several people were hit. It was horrible, there was panic. Terrible.
A person has tweeted they are currently stuck in a restaurant following the incident, adding that armed police are ‘everywhere’.
Two armed men are reported to have barricaded themselves in a restaurant in the city also.
