Posted: Thursday, March 11, 3:45 p.m. — GW students
studying abroad in Madrid were not among those killed or injured in
massive bombings Thursday morning in the heart of the Spanish capital,
University officials said.

At least 10 bombs ripped through three train stations, killing 190 and wounding more than 1,200 in the deadliest terrorist attack in Spain’s history.

The University’s Office of Study Abroad has accounted for all students and staff in Madrid, including the 30 students taking classes at GW’s Madrid Study Center, media specialist Matt Lindsay said Thursday afternoon.

Lindsay was unsure how many GW-affiliated people are currently in Madrid, but said, “No GW students or staff were involved or injured (in the explosions).”

After hearing about the attacks, which occurred during the city’s morning rush hour, the study abroad office communicated with students in Madrid and their parents. Study abroad officials, who were unavailable for comment, are in the process of informing GW administrators that all students have been located and are unharmed, Lindsay said.

In a coordinated attack, bombs exploded in some of Madrid’s busiest train stations, including the main terminal a block away from the famous Prado Museum, which is a popular attraction for students and tourists. Authorities initially blamed a Basque separatist group for the attacks, but later backed away from that statement after a fringe Muslim extremist organization claimed responsibility on behalf of Al-Qaeda, The New York Times reported.

The GW study center, located in the northern part of Madrid, is not near the sites of Thursday morning’s bombings, which occurred in the south and southeast parts of the city, Lindsay said.

The study abroad office will provide updates about the attacks on its Web site (http://www.gwu.edu/~studyabr/).