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NATIONAL DAY

GALLERY: Best images from Spain’s National Day parade

October 12th is a national holiday across Spain. Officially the Fiesta Nacional, it is also the Dia de la Hispanidad – Hispanic Day – that commemorates the day Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas in 1492, and Armed Forces Day.

GALLERY: Best images from Spain's National Day parade
All photos by Lynn Spreadbury / The Local

Madrid-based photographer Lynn Spreadbury was on Madrid's Paseo de la Castellana during the military parade on October 12th. Here, she share's her favourite images of the day.

The highlight of the day is a military parade that extends the length of Madrid's Paseo de la Castellana.

Units from all of Spain's armed forces take part in the parade, including the navy, army, air-force, Guardia Civil and police forces. 

It was drizzly on the day but that didn't stop the crowds turning out for the parade, many draped in the Spanish national flag.

Some even made their own! 

 

 

 

A goat serves as the mascot for the Spanish Legion, informally known as the Tercio or the Tercios, a unit of the Spanish Army and Spain's Rapid Reaction Force.

READ ALSO: How Spain celebrates its National Day (and why not everyone is happy about it)

EXPLOSION

IN PICS: Blast in central Madrid destroys residential building

These are the dramatic images of a huge blast that destroyed a residential building on Calle Toledo on Wednesday captured by Leah Pattem who lives nearby.

IN PICS: Blast in central Madrid destroys residential building
Photos by Leah Pattem

At least three people have been confirmed dead in the explosion which occured shortly before 3pm on Thursday. The blast, which has initially been blamed on a suspected gas explosion, completely destroyed the upper floors of the sixth storey building.

The explosion, which rattled windows across the neighbourhood, sent debris across the entire area stretching to the Puerta de Toledo. 

Police cordoned off the area and evacuated residents from nearby buildings for fear that there was structural damage that could cause buildings to collapse.

Emergency services were quick to the scene with nine fire engines and 11 ambulances attending the incident.

Ambulance crews set up a field hospital to treat those with light injuries while ambulances transferred the more seriously injured to local hospitals.

Media also flocked to the scene to report on the explosion.

The photo taken below by AFP photographer Oscar del Pozo shows the extend of the debris across the street below and the damage to parked cars as firefighters tackle a blaze caused by the explosion.


Photo: Oscar del Pozo/AFP

READ ALSO:  At least two dead as huge explosion destroys residential building in central Madrid

 

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