Police said they defused a car bomb yesterday they believe was intended to destroy evidence in the killing of two police officers in the northern Basque region two days earlier.
The car may have been used by the killers to make their getaway, police said. The Basque separatist group ETA, who Spanish authorities blame for the deaths of the officers, normally blows up the cars it uses in its attacks near the scene to destroy evidence.
Police found the white Peugeot 405 loaded with 2.2 pounds of dynamite early yesterday and closed off the Loinaz area in this Basque town near San Sebastian. It took three hours to defuse the bomb.
On Friday, two hooded assailants shot and killed a male and a female regional police officer while they were directing evening traffic. The woman officer was a mother of three.
It was the second attack this week on the Ertzaintza, or the autonomous regional police force, which are considered by the armed group as a legitimate target.
ROCHELLE PARK, N.J.
50 hurt when dance floor collapses
Associated Press
A temporary dance floor over a swimming pool at a nightclub gave way early yesterday, injuring more than 50 people who plunged into the water, authorities said.
About 35 people were taken to hospitals by ambulance after the dance floor collapsed about 2:15 a.m. at the Metro Lounge, Police Chief Richard Zavinsky said. Another 20 went to hospitals on their own.
Most had cuts, sprains or broken bones, Zavinsky said.
"Most of the injuries appear to be minor to moderate," he said. "There are a few head injuries. Some people were knocked unconscious."
Police are investigating whether the party violated building codes or occupancy limits, Zavinsky said.
The temporary floor was made of plywood and Plexiglas with steel framework. It covered an indoor in-ground pool, Fire Chief Sal Antista said.
It was unclear how many people were on the dance floor when it collapsed. Zavinsky said more than 500 people attended the party, which began at 10 p.m. Saturday.
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana
Travelers head home after Thanksgiving
Associated Press
Nervous about terrorism, Brit Jensen was taking a good look at fellow passengers yesterday as she flew back to Indiana after spending Thanksgiving with her parents in North Dakota.
"This is terrible to say but you kind of check out who's flying with you. I never did that before," said Jensen, whose trip home put her on a plane for the first time since Sept. 11.
As two armed National Guards members kept watch near a door, Jensen said she didn't think she would ever get used to seeing guardsmen at Bismarck Airport.
"This is such a safe place, so it's strange to me. But things change, I guess," said Jensen, a sophomore at Taylor University near Indianapolis.
Across the nation, thousands of travelers braved congestion and increased security as they returned to airports, highways and railways during the first major travel period following the attacks.
While final figures on the number of holiday travelers were not expected until later in the week, yesterday was still shaping up to be one of the busiest travel days of the year.
Several airlines said their flights were almost at capacity.
"All the terminals are full," said David Rogers, as he waited at Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport for his flight home to Mobile, Ala.
