'Carriage cut open like a can of tuna'

Office workers were boarding trains, school children chasing each other onto carriages and station staff bracing themselves for the usual morning crush.

Then, at 7.30am, came the first of four blasts. In minutes, terrorists turned the bustle of a Madrid morning into a charnel house of destruction.

The first emergency workers were confonted by the sight of train carriages torn open, briefcases scattered and shattered shop fronts strewn everywhere.

Wherever they looked were the injured, dead and the dying."There was a lot of blood," said ambulance driver Enrique Sanchez, who went to Atocha station.

"There were all kinds of wounded, many in their faces, amputations, broken bones. You don't know how impotent you feel not being able to treat everyone.

"One carriage was cut open like a can of tuna... We didn't know who to treat first. People were scattered over the platforms. I saw legs and arms. I won't forget this. I've seen horror."

Commuter Juani Fernandez, 50, said: "People started to scream and run and as we ran there was another explosion. I saw people with blood pouring from them, people on the ground."