What Happened in Madrid on March 11th 2004?

By Alice Nichols

On March 11th, 2004, Spain was hit by one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in its history. The attacks took place in Madrid, the capital city of Spain. A series of bombs were detonated on four trains during the morning rush hour, killing 191 people and injuring over 2,000 others.

The Attacks

The first bomb exploded at 7:37 am on a commuter train that had just left Alcalá de Henares station. The bomb was located on board a train that was heading towards Atocha Station in Madrid’s city center. Within minutes, three more bombs exploded on different trains at three different stations – Santa Eugenia, El Pozo del Tío Raimundo and Atocha.

The bombs were homemade devices consisting of dynamite wrapped in plastic bags and placed inside backpacks. They had been planted by a terrorist group known as Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), who claimed responsibility for the attacks.

The Response

The Spanish government responded quickly to the attacks. Emergency services were immediately dispatched to the scene to treat the injured and transport them to hospitals across Madrid.

A crisis management team was set up within hours of the attack to coordinate rescue efforts and provide information to both the public and international media.

The Aftermath

In the days following the attack, there was widespread shock and grief throughout Spain. Thousands of people took to the streets to mourn those who had lost their lives and show their solidarity with those who had been injured.

The attack had a significant impact on Spanish politics. Just three days after the bombings took place, Spain held a general election.

The ruling party at that time – Partido Popular (PP) – had initially blamed ETA (a Basque separatist group) for carrying out the attacks. However, evidence soon emerged linking Al Qaeda to the bombings.

This led to accusations that the PP had tried to cover up the truth in order to win the election. The party ended up losing the election, and a new government led by the Socialist Party (PSOE) was formed.

The Trial

In 2007, a trial began for those accused of carrying out the attacks. A total of 29 defendants were charged with murder, attempted murder, and terrorism-related offenses.

In October 2007, three men were found guilty of murder and sentenced to thousands of years in prison. Two more were found guilty of collaborating with a terrorist organization and sentenced to over 40 years in prison.

Conclusion

The Madrid train bombings remain one of the deadliest terrorist attacks ever carried out in Europe. The attack had a profound impact on Spain, both politically and socially.

It demonstrated that even countries previously thought to be immune from terrorism were not safe from such attacks. However, Spain’s response to the attacks has been widely praised as an example of how to deal with such atrocities.