Madrid Terrorist Attacks (2004)

On March 11, 2004, terrorists detonated a series of bombs on four commuter trains heading toward Madrid, Spain. This intricate, well-coordinated act of terror, causing the deaths of 191 people and injuries to over 1,800, is considered the most grievous incident to have occurred in Europe in peacetime. In short order, an urban pre-hospital and hospital system worked through the chaos and confusion to deliver care to the victims, manage the recovery of the dead, and provide solace to loved ones. Despite official declarations that this incident was the handiwork of the ETA, a Basque separatist organization, it was subsequently discovered that Muslim extremists were the actual perpetrators. At the general election in Spain, the conservative government fell, caused in part by the general perception ...