Madrid, March 11, 2005 — Much of Spain paused today to remember the terrorist attacks of one year earlier, when multiple dynamite-loaded backpacks detonated on four Madrid commuter trains during the morning rush hour. A total of 192 people were killed; more than 1,500 were wounded. Madrid’s church bells rang out in remembrance, and Spain’s royal family and other dignitaries presided over a solemn vigil that inaugurated a 192-tree memorial in Madrid’s largest park.

The attack touched much of Europe. Its victims included immigrants from Ukraine, France, and elsewhere in Europe. On this anniversary, Western European media focused on the attacks, the ceremonies for the victims, the aftermath and ongoing investigation, and the continuing threat to Europe from terrorist attacks.