NZ hockey team stay in Madrid for last game

By SCOTT MACLEOD and NZPA

New Zealand hockey players were jogging through Madrid when they saw bloody bomb victims speeding past in cars and ambulances.

In the streets around them, 198 people were dead or dying and 1400 injured in Europe's worst terror attack since the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, which killed 270 people.

Stunned, the players ran back to the Senator Espana Hotel.

They are confined there until Tuesday, after being told by a Spanish minister that they should stay indoors for their own safety.

The national hockey players, in Spain for an Olympic qualifying tournament, were among more than 100 New Zealanders known to be in Madrid when the bombs went off.

The hockey team's manager, Arvand Jasmat, said the bombing was a horrific experience for the players, even though the nearest blast was 20 minutes' walk away.

"It's quite close to the heart when you experience something like that, then get back to the hotel and find that there's been a bombing," Mr Jasmat said.

"We've made it quite clear to the players that they are to remain in the hotel until we're given the all-clear by authorities."

Captain Simon Towns said the players did not feel in danger.

"We were far enough away not to feel as if we were in the middle of it.

"After breakfast we headed out for a walk to stretch our legs, as we do every morning, and there were police cars, ambulances and things racing up and down the road."

The chaos outside later led to muted celebrations of New Zealand's 3-2 win over South Africa, which confirmed the Black Sticks' place in the Olympics, in Athens in August - the first time the men's hockey team will play on that stage since 1992.

They will venture out only for their last game, against Great Britain today, before flying to Auckland on Tuesday. They were told they could come home early, but resolved to remain in Madrid.

The New Zealand Ambassador in Madrid, Christine Bogle, lives 1km from where most blasts occurred.

"This the worst that has ever happened in the way of terrorist attacks, and people are just appalled."

She said New Zealanders worried about relatives should contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade's consular division, which would contact the embassy.

Nelson woman Blanqui Hurtado was yesterday anxiously trawling Spanish news sites, hoping she would not see a photograph of family or friends caught in the blast.

Her family's pastor was supposed to be working in Madrid, and he would almost certainly have travelled by train.

"It is very worrying, very worrying," said Ms Hurtado, who emigrated to Nelson from Spain with her husband, Wesney, two years ago.

"Our friends and our family are there, and we just don't know if they are okay."

Foreign Minister Phil Goff said yesterday that he had not received any reports of any New Zealanders being hurt or missing.

The embassy in Madrid had made e-mail or phone contact with most of the 80 New Zealand families and individuals registered in the area.

Staff had also checked the Spanish Government's casualty list and British and United States embassy staff had checked hospital admission lists for New Zealanders.

Mr Goff said the attacks were a senseless act of brutality.

"They resulted in the arbitrary slaughter of innocent civilians, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or religion."

He said the Government had expressed its "deep sympathy" for the victims through a letter of condolence sent by Prime Minister Helen Clark to her Spanish counterpart.