Glasgow University rector Aamer Anwar caught in Barcelona attack

Glasgow University rector Aamer Anwar was caught up in the terrorist attack in Barcelona.

Aamer Anwar was caught up in the Barcelona terrorist attack. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Anwar, who was in the city for a human rights conference, was walking in the popular thoroughfare La Rambla when he heard the screaming.

The human rights lawyer talked of the “chaos” which surrounded him.

Twelve people have been killed with 80 hospitalised after a white van ploughed into a crowd in La Rambla district. Located in the centre of the city, the area is populated with market stalls, bars and restaurants, attracting many tourists.

Police have arrested one man linked to at attack.

Mr Anwar said: “I had been to the Cathedral and walking down Las Ramblas for something to eat. Part of it was in the shade so I decided to keep walking down and literally within 10 seconds there was a crashing noise.

“I turned around and people were screaming - I could see a woman screaming with her kids - people started running and jumping into shops. I ran for about 50 or 100 metres and stopped to see what was happening. The police were very quickly on the scene and getting people to move back.

“I could see chaos right at the top area and I spoke to a shopkeeper who had run down and was screaming. He was Bengali so I spoke to him in Urdu and he said a van had driven into a crowd and he thought there were five to six people very seriously injured.”