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Spanish bomb disrupts UK holidays
At least two civil guards were killed in the explosion
British holidaymakers are facing travel chaos after roads, ports and the airport on the island of Majorca were closed following a bomb attack.
Some travellers risk being stranded at the airport in Palma, while others may not be able to take off from the UK.
Tour operator Thomson said four flights were en route to the Spanish island when the news of the bombing broke, and two were returning to Gatwick Airport.
Travellers are being told to check their plans with their airline.
<span style="font-weight: bold">It is not known when the airport on the popular island will re-open.</span>
Travel association Abta said there were an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 Britons in Majorca at present.
The other two Thomson Airways flights are expected to be diverted to one of the other Balearic islands.
Several airlines have UK flights that are scheduled to leave for Majorca this evening.
Two Easyjet flights and one British Airways plane are due to leave Gatwick from 1740 BST onwards. They are also scheduled to make return trips.
Lettings agent Kevin Blake and his family are booked on the Easyjet flight at 1740 BST.
Speaking from the check-in queue, the 44-year-old, from Cobham in Surrey, said they heard about the blast just as they were waking out their front door.
"We do not know anything at this point, they are just telling us to queue up and check in," he said.
"I'm not concerned from a safety aspect, I just want to know if we're going or not. I don't want to spend the night at the airport."
Another traveller, Neil Williams, an architect from London, was due to catch the same flight for a work meeting.
"<span style="font-weight: bold">The reaction to close all the ports and airports seems somewhere between infantile and an over-reaction," </span>he said. "I hope they will tell me what is going on when I get to check-in."
A spokeswoman for the Sussex airport said she was expecting Palma airport to re-open later this evening.
Three in-bound flights are due to arrive at Stansted Airport, Essex, from 1730 BST onwards.
In Scotland, two flights left for Majorca from Glasgow and Edinburgh around 1500 BST. An aircraft is due to arrive in Glasgow from Majorca at 2050 BST, and another at Edinburgh at 1710 BST.
Tour company Thomas Cook had four flights due to leave to and from Majorca tomorrow and a large number on Saturday.
A spokeswoman said: "Our people out in Majorca are now attempting to contact holidaymakers in the hotels to tell them what's going on."
A Foreign Office spokesman said that so far there had been no reports of any British people being injured in the blast.
<span style="font-weight: bold">The explosion at a Civil Guard base in Palmanova has been blamed on the separatist group Eta, which wants an independent homeland in Spain's Basque region. </span>
Helen Halstead, 30, from Manchester, was eating in a restaurant when she heard the blast.
"As soon as I heard the noise I ran around the corner and found there was quite a big fire in a car. There was debris around the car and in the road and smoke in the sky," she said.
"There was a guy on the floor and they were trying to resuscitate him. Because it was outside the Civil Guard office, they were there straight away, cordoning off the road and moving people out of the way."
At least two civil guards were killed in the explosion
British holidaymakers are facing travel chaos after roads, ports and the airport on the island of Majorca were closed following a bomb attack.
Some travellers risk being stranded at the airport in Palma, while others may not be able to take off from the UK.
Tour operator Thomson said four flights were en route to the Spanish island when the news of the bombing broke, and two were returning to Gatwick Airport.
Travellers are being told to check their plans with their airline.
<span style="font-weight: bold">It is not known when the airport on the popular island will re-open.</span>
Travel association Abta said there were an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 Britons in Majorca at present.
The other two Thomson Airways flights are expected to be diverted to one of the other Balearic islands.
Several airlines have UK flights that are scheduled to leave for Majorca this evening.
Two Easyjet flights and one British Airways plane are due to leave Gatwick from 1740 BST onwards. They are also scheduled to make return trips.
Lettings agent Kevin Blake and his family are booked on the Easyjet flight at 1740 BST.
Speaking from the check-in queue, the 44-year-old, from Cobham in Surrey, said they heard about the blast just as they were waking out their front door.
"We do not know anything at this point, they are just telling us to queue up and check in," he said.
"I'm not concerned from a safety aspect, I just want to know if we're going or not. I don't want to spend the night at the airport."
Another traveller, Neil Williams, an architect from London, was due to catch the same flight for a work meeting.
"<span style="font-weight: bold">The reaction to close all the ports and airports seems somewhere between infantile and an over-reaction," </span>he said. "I hope they will tell me what is going on when I get to check-in."
A spokeswoman for the Sussex airport said she was expecting Palma airport to re-open later this evening.
Three in-bound flights are due to arrive at Stansted Airport, Essex, from 1730 BST onwards.
In Scotland, two flights left for Majorca from Glasgow and Edinburgh around 1500 BST. An aircraft is due to arrive in Glasgow from Majorca at 2050 BST, and another at Edinburgh at 1710 BST.
Tour company Thomas Cook had four flights due to leave to and from Majorca tomorrow and a large number on Saturday.
A spokeswoman said: "Our people out in Majorca are now attempting to contact holidaymakers in the hotels to tell them what's going on."
A Foreign Office spokesman said that so far there had been no reports of any British people being injured in the blast.
<span style="font-weight: bold">The explosion at a Civil Guard base in Palmanova has been blamed on the separatist group Eta, which wants an independent homeland in Spain's Basque region. </span>
Helen Halstead, 30, from Manchester, was eating in a restaurant when she heard the blast.
"As soon as I heard the noise I ran around the corner and found there was quite a big fire in a car. There was debris around the car and in the road and smoke in the sky," she said.
"There was a guy on the floor and they were trying to resuscitate him. Because it was outside the Civil Guard office, they were there straight away, cordoning off the road and moving people out of the way."
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