Woman stabbed to death in random attack at Spanish holiday hotspot
The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
A woman has been stabbed to death in an area of Barcelona popular with British holidaymakers.
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The victim was treated by paramedics but died at the scene, and onlookers described a trail of blood down the street.
The alleged attacker was reportedly spotted by locals as showing ‘signs of nervousness’ and brandishing a large knife whilst stalking Joan Miró street, in the Esplugues de Llobregat area of Barcelona.
He later approached the woman, stabbing her multiple times before slashing her throat and fleeing the scene at around 11am local time on Saturday.
Catalan police have since arrested the suspect and erected a forensics tent to cover the woman's body. Neither the alleged attacker nor the victim has been identified.
Locals shared footage of a man wielding a knife online, describing it as "a normal day in Barcelona".
Catalan police are treating the killing as gender-based violence and believe it was a random street killing.
Officers are also looking into whether the suspect attacked a man who was treated for minor injuries in the area around the same time.
Esplugues City Council, said it "deeply regrets the violent death of a person in the city" and expressed its condolences.
"Out of respect for the ongoing investigation and all those affected, we ask for prudence and responsibility, and to avoid spreading unverified information," it added.
It also expressed concern that the incident could affect the area’s ‘coexistence and citizen security’.