Britain to look into reports of missing British child in Spain attack: May

Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-19 01:21:38|Editor: yan
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LONDON, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Theresa May said Friday her government was trying its best to look into reports of a missing child with dual British nationality after deadly terrorist attacks in Spain which left 14 people dead.

"We're urgently looking into reports of a child believed missing, who is a British dual national," the prime minister said in a statement.

The seven-year-old boy, Julian Alessandro Cadman, was separated from his mother when a van rammed into a crowd of people in the pedestrian area in central Barcelona on Thursday, reports said, citing a post on social media from the boy's grandfather.

"Sadly, I must tell you that we do believe that a number of British nationals were caught up in the attack," she said.

"The Foreign Office is offering consular assistance to those who were involved in the attack and their families, and are working urgently to see if there are others who need their help," May said.

Earlier Friday, May spoke with Spanish Prime Minister Maiano Rajoy over the double terror attacks. "Terrorism is the great threat we all face," she said.

Cadman's mother was badly injured and is reportedly in a serious condition in hospital. The family has shared a picture of Cadman in a bid to find the boy from Australia.

Thirteen people were killed Thursday afternoon in the popular Las Ramblas area of Barcelona when a white van zigzagged at high speed down the busy avenue thronged with tourists, knocking down pedestrians.

On Thursday night, the 14th victim, a woman, was reportedly stabbed and later died at hospital on Friday, when five people jumped out of a car and began attacking people at random on the seaside promenade in Cambrils, a town south of Barcelona. Spanish police shot all five attackers dead.

Both attacks were carried out by a single terrorist cell made up of about 12 people, according to Spanish police.

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