1st LD Writethru: Central Madrid closed to trains, traffic after suspect package found

Police closed the Nuevos Ministerios station in the center of Madrid and closed the central Paseo de la Castellana to traffic on Thursday afternoon after the discovery of a suspect package.

The package, a cardboard box approximately 20 cm by 10 cm, was found at the entry to the station, which serves both the Madrid metro and local and regional rail services shortly before 6 p.m. and the station was evacuated while police investigated whether it was real or a hoax.

The Paseo de la Castellana, which is the central artery in the Spanish capital, running form north to south, was also closed to traffic while trains running through Nuevos Ministerios were also stopped on government orders as a security measure and the metro lines 6,8, which goes to the airport, and 10 were also closed.

This happens a day after the Spanish government raised its security level from 2 to 3 in the wake of the attack on the offices of French Magazine Charlie Hebdo which left 12 people dead.

Wednesday also saw the offices of several Spanish newspapers evacuated after receiving suspect packages, although this was finally confirmed to be a false alarm. Endit