TEDAX officers, experts in deactivation of bombs of the National Police of Spain, could be deactivating a second car bomb in Mallorca. Local Police is evacuating the hotels nearby and shutting the area.
This is an information given by Bartolomé Barceló, the general public prosecutor in Balearic Islands.
[UPDATE] Confirmed second bomb, TEDAX exploded the second car bomb in Mallorca.
[2nd UPDATE] Experts say that maybe the dogs marked the second car due to proximity with the first car, we will have to wait for a while until we have confirmation about this second car. In any case is sure that TEDAX officers have made a controlled explosion.
The basque terrorist group ETA is responsible for the explosion early this afternoon (13:50), which hit a police car on patrol in Palmanova, Calviá, one of the most important touristic destinations in Europe.
Yesterday, a 200kg bomb targeting dozens of Civil Guard members and their families, including children, ripped through their 14-storey barracks building in Burgos, northern Spain, but with no defeats.
The origin of the explosion was most likely a limpet bomb attached to the underneath of the Nissan patrol car that was being driven by the two deceased civil guards at the time of the explosion. According the a representative of the government of the Balearics, Ramón Socías, the two agents were dressed in civilian gear at the time and were carrying out maintenance works.
One of he two victims is a 28-year-old Guardia Civil officer from Burgos. The second victim was a 27-year-old man from Pamplona who had lived in Palma for the past two years who was a trainee officer.
The date will be cause for celebration for the minority of Basque nationalists who share ETA’s aim of the violent achievement of independence for the Basque Country from the rest of Spain.
Security forces believe the terrorists, weakened by arrests of top leaders, and long relatively dormant, are trying to put on a show of force to prove they are still able to strike at the Spanish state and to maintain morale among ETA supporters, and also to achieve a negotiation with the Government of Spain.
Right now the airport is open again as Spanish authorities had closed ports and airports on Mallorca from the time of the terrorist attack during three hours in the operation know as “Jaula” (jail).
The resedence of the Royal Family of Spain is at only 10 kilometers from the place, and two of theur daughters arrived yesterday to the island.
The MSC Fantasy, the biggest cruise ship of the Mediterranean, broke her ropes due to strong winds while the passengers where boarding. This caused all the passengers on the gangway to fall into the sea. Four of them were sent to hospital with hypotermia symptoms.
MSC Fantasy
The CEO of the company, Emiliano González, was traveling in the cruise as this was the inaugural travel of the vessel. The MSC Fantasy is the second biggest cruise ship that stops in Palma de Mallorca, only after Queen Mary, and the biggest Mediterranean cruise ship.
Majorca is set to be popular with holidaymakers in 2009 and it has also been revealed that the island is a favourite of some of the most famous faces in Hollywood.
Among them are film stars Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas, Formula One racer Michael Schumacher, supermodel Claudia Schiffer and singer Annie Lennox – who have all had homes on the island.
And no wonder when there is such a selection of places of historical interest, outstanding natural beauty, art galleries, museums, theatres, clubs, shops and restaurants to visit.
In reflection of this, a list compiled by Skyscanner.net of the 50 most searched destinations by Britons planning to travel this year placed Palma in Majorca as seventh.
Co-founder of the search engine Barry Smith said: “This year, it’s all about making your money go as far as possible, which is why Spain remains an extremely popular destination for British travellers. It’s close, warm and still very good value. ”
‘Tis the season for hellish travel. If the prospect of getting on a plane makes you want to boycott the holidays altogether, you’re not alone. When the folks at MadTV put this skit together early this year, it was meant to parody the myriad ways that airlines nickel and dime their passengers — the clip shows passengers being forced to pay an extra charge for seat belts and an emergency supply of oxygen.
But the soaring cost of air travel and the elimination of even peanuts from cross-country flights is no joke anymore. Watch and weep.
THIS year, the Balearic Ministry for Tourism’s inspectors have stepped up their activities and a total 581 establishments, including restaurants, holiday flats and homes, have fines pending after having been caught operating “illegally” or without all the necessary permits.
Last year, 309 fines were handed out but during the first ten months of this year, that number has risen by 88 percent.
The Minister for Tourism, Miguel Nadal, yesterday explained that one of the biggest problems continues to be the unauthorized renting of holiday flats and homes.
At the moment, the owners of 133 apartments and 120 homes in the Balearics are facing fines, as are a total 38 restaurateurs for also being caught operating without the necessary licenses.
