At least 23 people were killed and many other injured when two blasts hit Zaventem airport in Brussels Tuesday, TV reports say. However Belgian public broadcaster VRT reported 13 deaths.
The two blasts occurred at around 8 a.m. local time.
Hours later, a separate blast hit Maelbeek metro station, located close to EU institutions in Brussels.
The explosions come four days after a counter-terrorism raid in Brussels led to the capture of Paris attacks suspect Saleh Abdeslam Friday.
According to VRT news , the attacks at Brussels Airport and Maelbeek Metro Station, caused chaos in the capital. Public transport is completely silent and all the tunnels are closed. Everyone is advised in Brussels to stay indoors or not to come to the capital. There is a lockdown of Brussels and across the country, the terror level at the highest level.
Public transport is still in Brussels. All train stations and subway stations are closed. All three major railway stations of the capital are cleared. The trains to Brussels is completely lamb. SNCB therefore recommends to avoid Brussels. International train traffic is down.
The roads are experiencing great discomfort. Loi is completely cleared. There is no traffic through and asked the press to take away. There’s an army truck across the street. Also, all the tunnels have been closed for security in the capital.
Zaventem airport remains sure until six o’clock tomorrow morning close. The mobile phone traffic in the capital is severely disturbed because some cell towers are overloaded. Who should do no emergency phones are asked to alert provisionally family or friends via social media work via the Internet.
Terror threat level in Brussels has been raised to the highest, local media reported. Belgian broadcaster VRT said that in addition to the dead at the airport, at least 35 people were severely injured. Two blasts tore through the departures area of Zaventem airport shortly after 08:00 local time.
An hour later, an explosion hit Maalbeek metro station, close to the EU institutions. The metro system and airport have both been closed. The attacks come four days after Salah Abdeslam, the main suspect in the Paris attacks, was captured in Brussels.
The Belgian government has confirmed casualties at the airport but has given no numbers. The cause of the explosions is unknown. The whole metro system has been closed. Belgium has now raised its terror threat to its highest level.
Emergency services are clearing the airport completely. Belgian media also reported that more bombs were found. The Belga news agency reports that shots were fired and shouts in Arabic were heard before the two explosions.
Rail transport to the airport has been halted and people have been told not to come. All flights have been diverted. Other reports say at least one of the explosions was close to the American Airlines check-in area but this has not been confirmed. Brussels Airport serves over 23 million passengers a year.
Photo courtesy VRT news