The huge manhunt to find the man responsible for the acid attack on two women in Cártama on Tuesday appears to be closing in on the suspect - the former boyfriend of one of the victims.

After the attack which seriously injured the two young women, the man was named by police as 27-year-old José Arcadio D.N., who fled the scene in a dark grey Volkswagen Golf with twin exhaust pipes.

Police issued a public appeal to help them track down the man who, sources told SUR, has seven arrest warrants in force.

On Wednesday night the suspect’s car was detected by a number plate recognition system on the A-45 at Las Pedrizas, in Casabermeja, when it was spotted driving towards Malaga.

A chase along the A-7, involving Guardia Civil and National Police officers with helicopter support, followed. It also involved Local Police teams from Malaga city, Torremolinos, Benalmádena and Mijas.

During the chase, the road was closed, but the suspect managed to escape while driving at more than 200 km/h.

The abandoned car has now been located near the Muslim cemetery in Mijas. Police continue their work to locate and arrest him.

The attack on the two women happened on Tuesday while they were sitting in a white Mini. A grey VW had blocked the traffic and there was an altercation. Witnesses said a young man left his vehicle, approached the car and sprayed acid through the partially lowered window of the women’s car.

Both of the screaming victims leapt from the vehicle which careered out of control down the street for 60 metres before crashing into a lamp post. The alleged attacker fled the scene in his vehicle.

Local Police officers were first on the scene and a few minutes later paramedics arrived. They called for the support of an air ambulance due to the nature of the women's injuries.

The suspect’s ex-girlfriend suffered deep burns to 45 per cent of the body and she was flown to a specialist burns unit in Seville where her condition is described as “very serious”.

Her friend was rushed to the burns unit of Malaga’s regional hospital in a “serious but stable” condition with 25 per cent burns to her body.