The Body of the Second Victim of ETA Has been Found

A robotic camera saw an arm and forearm so there is confirmation of a body in the vehicle. However, the rescue workers cannot access the car, which is still buried under tons of rubble. There is also a high risk that the rubble could dislodge, causing further damage and perhaps injury to the workers. The car shows no signs of fire, so it appears that the Mr. Estacio did not burn to death but likely was crushed or died of suffucation like Mr. Palate. El Mundo has an excellent graphic of the recovery of the body of Mr. Palate.

It was reported that there were three telphone warnings - Two of these calls occured shortly after 8 a.m. and were made to the Vasque authorities in Guipúzcoa and San Sebastián. It was reported that a third call was made to the Madrid Fire Department. El Pais reports that there were approximately 20,000 people at the airport at that time. Emergency services immediately activated to evacuate people out of the airport and perhaps it was their quick action that not more people were injured.

The two victims were asleep in their cars, one from driving most of the night and the other from having stayed out too late with his friends the night before. Probably neither heard the warnings over loudspeakers. Nonetheless, such civilian deaths are foreseeable. An international airport is not a military target and can hardly be considered an arm of an oppresive government. ETA cannot claim to be freedom fighters and international law is clear that such acts are to be considered murder.