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Madrid Rocked by explosions, esp.mounteverest.net is 'OK'
12:35 p.m. EST Mar 11, 2004
Esp.MountEverest.net, Our Spanish language sister site headquartered in Madrid, is off to a rocky start. Early Thursday morning ten powerful explosions rocked three Madrid train stations just days before Spain's general elections, killing at least 173 rush-hour commuters and injuring more than 600 others.
Officials blamed the Basque separatist group ETA for the worst terror attack in Spain's history. However, Arnold Otegi, the leader of an outlawed Basque party linked to the separatist group, denied the deadly explosions were the work of ETA and he suggested "Arab resistance" elements were responsible. The ETA always phones in warnings before it attacks. Spain’s Interior Minister Angel Acebes said earlier there was no warning before Thursday's attack.
“What a horror," said the Basque regional president, Juan Jose Ibarretxe, who insisted ETA does not represent the Basque people. "When ETA attacks, the Basque heart breaks into a thousand pieces," he said.
Some of the world’s best climbers are from Basque Country and it is not uncommon to see them climbing side by side with mountaineers from Spain. To name a few there are; Iñaki Otxoa de Olza (7 8,000ers), Edurne Pasaban(6 8,000ers, 3 in 61 days) and Juan Eusebio (Jaunito) Oiarzabal (who has 18 8,000ers and 3 of the 7 summits under his belt).
There is a long history of violence in Basque Country carried out by few people. However, the Basque people can be sure that this tragic event will not be the only news that comes from their homeland this year. This spring we will see Juanito and Edurne Pasaban, who has summited 6 8,000ers, head for the summit of K2.
Word From our Madrid Office: "We are OK, but this is (at this time of the day) kind of a nightmare. There are threats of new bombs all over the town; the police have controlled-exploded two of them until now. Everybody is trying to give blood for the transfusions, but they cannot get to the hospitals. Roads are collapsed. We'll continue the news work if the internet is working"
Pictured on the esp.mounteverest banner are Edurne(Basque), Carlos Pauner (Argonese), and Iñaki (Basque)
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report
Photo of Madrid courtesy of http://www.concentric.net
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