Two explosions reported at Brussels airport
by Agency Staff,
2016-03-22 11:03:57.0
BRUSSELS — Two explosions were heard at Brussels Airport on Tuesday, while another blast took place at the Maalbeek metro station. Images on the website of public broadcaster RTBF showed smoke rising from the terminal building, where the windows had been shattered.
The broadcaster said the blasts hit shortly after 7am GMT and that regional authorities had gone into emergency mode, with all flights in and out of the airport halted.
At least 13 people were killed and 35 injured in the airport blasts, Belgian media quoted the federal prosecutor as saying.
Officials were not immediately available to confirm the figure when contacted by AFP. The federal police earlier confirmed one death.. Images showed people fleeing from the terminal building.
Brussels Airport is cancelling flights and evacuating the airport area, it said on its Twitter account following the explosions.
“Don’t come to the airport — airport is being evacuated. Avoid the airport area. Flights have been cancelled,” the airport said.
Brussels Airport serves over 23-million passengers a year.
The blasts follow the dramatic arrest in Brussels on Friday of Saleh Abdeslam, prime suspect in the Paris terror attacks that killed 130 people in November, after four months on the run.
Metro blasts
The Brussels metro service was being shut down on Tuesday, its operator said, following a blast at a station close to the capital’s European quarter.
The measure came after a rush-hour explosion at Maalbeek station with TV images showing black smoke pouring from the station entrance.
More than a dozen people were lying on the pavement outside with bloodied faces and were being treated by emergency services.
Reuters and AFP
-
Broken windows seen at the scene of explosions at Zaventem airport near Brussels, Belgium. Picture: REUTERS
-
A police woman gestures in front of ambulances at the scene of a blast outside a metro station in Brussels, in this still image taken from video on Tuesday. REUTERS/REUTERS TV
-
Armed Belgian police apprehend a suspect, in this still image taken from video, in Molenbeek, near Brussels, Belgium on Friday. Picture: REUTERS
BRUSSELS — Two explosions were heard at Brussels Airport on Tuesday, while another blast took place at the Maalbeek metro station. Images on the website of public broadcaster RTBF showed smoke rising from the terminal building, where the windows had been shattered.
The broadcaster said the blasts hit shortly after 7am GMT and that regional authorities had gone into emergency mode, with all flights in and out of the airport halted.
At least 13 people were killed and 35 injured in the airport blasts, Belgian media quoted the federal prosecutor as saying.
Officials were not immediately available to confirm the figure when contacted by AFP. The federal police earlier confirmed one death.. Images showed people fleeing from the terminal building.
Brussels Airport is cancelling flights and evacuating the airport area, it said on its Twitter account following the explosions.
“Don’t come to the airport — airport is being evacuated. Avoid the airport area. Flights have been cancelled,” the airport said.
Brussels Airport serves over 23-million passengers a year.
The blasts follow the dramatic arrest in Brussels on Friday of Saleh Abdeslam, prime suspect in the Paris terror attacks that killed 130 people in November, after four months on the run.
Metro blasts
The Brussels metro service was being shut down on Tuesday, its operator said, following a blast at a station close to the capital’s European quarter.
The measure came after a rush-hour explosion at Maalbeek station with TV images showing black smoke pouring from the station entrance.
More than a dozen people were lying on the pavement outside with bloodied faces and were being treated by emergency services.
Reuters and AFP
Change: -1.27%
Change: -1.42%
Change: -1.87%
Change: -1.08%
Change: -2.01%
Data supplied by Profile Data
Change: -0.47%
Change: 0.61%
Change: -1.27%
Change: 0.00%
Change: 0.63%
Data supplied by Profile Data
Change: -0.12%
Change: -1.22%
Change: -0.17%
Change: 0.54%
Change: 0.00%
Data supplied by Profile Data
Change: -0.84%
Change: -1.85%
Change: -2.59%
Change: 0.36%
Change: -2.35%
Data supplied by Profile Data