Spain Airport Terminal Rocked From Large Explosion

Update: Basque ETA said to be claiming responsibility for the bombing.

Update: Fox may have overstated the injuries, but it isn't clear.

MADRID (Reuters) - A car bomb exploded in a parking lot at Madrid's Barajas airport on Saturday after an anonymous telephone warning, Spanish police said.

A warning had been telephoned to motorway rescue services in the Basque Country, state radio reported.

Two police, who were looking for the suspect vehicle, were slightly injured in the blast according to the radio report.

More Via Fox TV, several injured from a blast at approximately 9:30 AM local time when a car bomb exploded near one of Madrid's busiest airport terminals. It doesn't sound like Al-Qaeda, a warning was issued by telephone right before the explosion. It's unclear if an evacuation prevented more causalities.

MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- A powerful explosion apparently caused by a car bomb caused extensive damage to Spain's busiest airport Saturday, police said, but there were no reports of casualties.

The explosion after 0800 GMT followed a warning to police, who were able to evacuate part of Madrid's Barajas International Airport. It was not clear who gave the warning.

Witnesses described a huge column of smoke billowing out from the scene of the blast.

Samantha Graham, an employee of CNN's parent company who was in an airport concourse for a flight, said hundreds of people evacuated the terminal through jetways and have gathered outside on the airport tarmac.

CNN's Madrid bureau chief Al Goodman said the explosion caused a collapse of part of the affected airport terminal and extensive damage to glass.

Goodman said that previous explosions preceded by a warning in Spain were attributed to the Basque separtist group ETA, blamed for more than 800 deaths.

ETA earlier this year declared a permanent ceasefire, although this has been hit by tensions in recent weeks, Goodman said.

In March 2004, 191 people were killed by bomb attacks on Madrid commuter trains. The attacks, blamed on al-Qaeda-linked militants, were not preceded by any warning.

The airport is Spain's busiest, handling more than 40 million passengers a year, according to the airport's official Web site.

Comments

[Darth Malice]

Spain caved to terror....they are reaping what the sowed.

[Purple Avenger]

So much for the comfy chair strategy...

[Chuck]

Funny, I thought I saw on the news sometime back that ETA had decided to end its violence. I guess they forgot to tell us that they were back to work.

[one small voice]

Just traveled through Barajas Airport. The most beautiful and well designed airport I've been to. Really a shame to see it in a shambles. Thank goodness no fatalities.

[Gabi]

Unfortunately, a big fatality. Two inmigrants from Ecuador were in their cars when the bomb exploded.It took days to find their bodies. I wonder if it will finally sink into international knowledge that ETA are terrorists and not some romantic heroes looking for freedom.And just an opinion, do you seriously think Barajas is the most beautiful airport you've been to? I find it's one of the worst I've been to, it's very bad organised. I much prefer Heathrow, Charles de Gaulle or El Prat.