French OAP Dies At Barca Airport Amid Catalan Riots

Story ByAna LacasaSub EditorJoseph GolderAgencyCentral European News

A 62-year-old French tourist has died at Barcelona Airport after he was forced to walk 4 kilometres to the terminal as transport was blocked by Catalan protests and he suffered cardiac arrest along the way.

The passenger, whose name has not been revealed, reportedly suffered from cardiac arrest while walking from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 of the Barcelona-El Prat Airport in the north-eastern Spanish region of Catalonia.

Due to the ongoing violent protests taking place outside the airport, sparked when the Spanish authorities sentenced nine Catalan separatist leaders, shuttle services between the terminals were not in operation.

Picture Credit:CEN

Reports said the French man had to walk around four kilometres (2.5 miles) before arriving at Terminal 2 where he collapsed.

Paramedics were nearby due to the protests taking place outside the airport and they promptly tried to resuscitate the elderly tourist.

The French man was taken to the Bellvitge University Hospital in Barcelona by helicopter, however he died shortly after arrival, according to local media.

In a statement, the emergency services said that the man’s death “was not linked to the protests” and said the decision to use a helicopter and not an ambulance was due to the patient’s critical condition.

Last night saw the third day of protests in different Catalan cities which resulted in the arrest of 32 people while at least 41 have been injured in the disturbances.

Reports said that one young man is in a serious condition after being run over by a Mossos d’Esquadra (Catalan police) patrol car in the city of Tarragona.

The demonstrations have also closed many major roads in Catalonia, including sections of the AP-2 and AP-7 motorways, according to reports.

The Spanish authorities have said they are investigating who is coordinating the disruption.

Protesters have been using an app known as ‘Tsunami Democratic’ to attend protest sites in Catalan cities, according to reports.

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