'There was blood everywhere'

More horrific details of the Madrid bombings emerged today as survivors told of their terror following the explosions.

Civil servant Luisa Alvarez, 45, was with her son on the upper deck of one of the commuter trains heading into the city.

"There was a flash at the end of the carriage. A terrific blast hit us. We were thrown to the floor and then there was another loud bang."

She came round after passing out to witness horrific scenes. " Everywhere I turned there was blood. The windows were smashed and there was moaning and crying."

Denise Neuss, 53, originally from Belfast but living in Spain, was on board one of the trains at Atocha and suffered severe bruising.

Speaking from hospital, she said: "I knew it was a bomb straight away. When it went off I felt sudden pain in my back. Everyone was on the floor, covered in dust.

"I saw dead people in the train and some people were screaming. There was one man next to me and I held his hand and pulled him towards me."

Briton Lennox Hastie, 25, was on the platform at Atocha. "I was close to the train window when I heard a noise," he said. "At first I thought it was another train. But then a worker ran past me with blood streaming from his head." Juani Fernandez, 50, another civil servant, said: "People started to scream and run, some bumping into each other and as we ran there was another explosion."

Station official David Hernandez, 26, thought there had been an earthquake. "There were people running and lots of smoke. Everyone was crying and running, knocking over barriers. Everyone was completely hysterical."

Samuel Lozano, 24, described the scenes as being "like something from a war zone". He helped passengers by pulling them through windows. "There were people with their arms hanging off."

Ecuadorian Anibal Altamirano, 26, had been about to board a train at Atocha station. "People were stunned by the first blast. There were people all over the ground like in a disaster movie. Others were crushed against the walls .

"After a second explosion, people dropped everything, bags and shoes and ran, many trampling on others. People didn't know which way to go. Some went into the train tunnels without thinking other trains could be coming."

Others told of the death that surrounded them. Mariano, 28, said: "I began helping and searching for the wounded. I held a girl in my arms but we lost her. She died in my arms."

Antonio Villacanas said: "There were bodies strewn around the carriages, the tracks, and some people had been burnt to a cinder."

An unnamed survivor at Atocha said: "You don't know what it's like to get off a train and see burnt people, people missing limbs, young people, children."

Members of the emergency services spoke of the devastation they came across. Firefighter Juan Redondo said: "It looked like the platform of death. I've never seen anything like it before. The recovery of the bodies was very difficult. We didn't know what to pick up."

Dr Beatriz Martin tended victims at El Pozo. "On many bodies we could hear the person's mobile phone ringing as we carted them away."