Ten bombs concealed in sports bags detonated on four crowded commuter trains during the morning rush hour in Madrid on March 11, 2004,
claiming 192 lives and injuring more than 1,700 people.
In the Spanish capital, church bells tolled at 9:00 a.m. local time (0800 GMT) in remembrance of the victims, followed by a mass at the Almudena Cathedral.
Throughout the city,
individuals left flowers and candles at a newly unveiled monument at Atocha station, where one of the trains exploded, while several events observed a minute’s silence.
Francisco Alameda, 60, who was aboard one of the trains on that tragic day, recounted his immediate response to assist others upon realizing he was unharmed.
“The smell of burning flesh has left a lasting impact on me - I can’t attend barbecues. There was a sepulchral silence; we didn’t speak; we were solely focused on aiding [the injured],” he shared.
King Felipe, Queen Letizia, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson attended an event at
Madrid’s Royal Collections Gallery, where people left messages at a commemorative olive tree.
Elsewhere, at Retiro Park,
individuals left white daisies, and music was played amidst the 192 trees planted in memory of the victims.
The bombings deeply divided Spanish society
The attacks occurred just
three days before a general election that saw the conservative People’s Party, which supported the U.S.-led war in Iraq, ousted from power.
Initially,
senior politicians mistakenly attributed the attacks to the Basque separatist group ETA. However, Islamist militants claimed responsibility in a video message,
citing revenge for Spain’s involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. The bombings deeply divided Spanish society.
“March 11 has been exploited so many times that it has become a weapon to attack each other, but the victims remain completely detached from that.
Nobody cares about the victims,” remarked Angel de Marcos, 65, who was present at the station during the attacks.
Three weeks later, seven men, including two suspected ringleaders, detonated explosives in an apartment on the outskirts of Madrid as police closed in,
resulting in the death of a policeman.
