Breaking - Brussels Terror Attacks

[EC]

Double explosion in the departure hall. Terror alert in Belgium raised to maximum.

http://abcnews.go.com/Live?stream=2

[EC]

Fox News ‏@FoxNews 10s10 seconds ago

BREAKING: Explosion reported at Metro subway station in central Brussels

[EC]

Zee News ‏@ZeeNews 3m3 minutes ago

LIVE: Shots fired, Arabic shouted before Brussels airport explosions; 11 people reported dead
http://zeenews.india.com/news/world/live-two-explosions-rock-brussels-airport-smoke-seen-rising-from-building_1868322.html …

[EC]

The Telegraph ‏@Telegraph 1m1 minute ago

Brussels airport explosions: Third bomb 'found on runway'. More to follow.

[EC]

 euronews Retweeted
Catherine Hardy ‏@fernojay 4m4 minutes ago

What we know:
'several dead', multiple injuries after 2 explosions at airport
Explosion at Maelbeek Metro
Explosion at Schuman EU station
19 retweets 1 like

[EC]

FRANCE 24 ‏@FRANCE24 5s5 seconds ago

Toutes les stations de métro sont fermées  / Explosion à la station #Maelbeek http://f24.my/YTliveFR  #Bruxelles

[EC]

Report UK ‏@ReportUK 2m2 minutes ago

Brussels Airport explosions 11 dead, 24 injured after blast at American Airlines desk http://goo.gl/0icvjK

[EC]

http://www.aljazeera.com/watch_now/

I don't have the bandwidth to watch livestreams.

[EC]

Metro ‏@MetroUK 3m3 minutes ago

Explosions heard at three Metro stations in Brussels
http://metro.co.uk/2016/03/22/brussels-airport-blasts-explosions-heard-at-three-metro-stations-5766996/ …



I'm pausing updating for 30 minutes unless a fresh incident happens. Too much confusion right now.

[EC]

 euronews Retweeted
Catherine Hardy ‏@fernojay 48s48 seconds ago

VRT broadcaster reports airport blast was "a suicide bomber" , not confirmed, presser due at 10am, @euronews covering live

[rangerrebew]

At Least 1 Dead, Many Injured, in Terror Attack at Brussels Airport

(Update: Belgian media reporting possible attack at subway station near EU headquarters.)


.BRUSSELS (AP) — At least one person was killed when two explosions ripped through the departure hall at Brussels airport Tuesday, police said. All flights were canceled, arriving planes were being diverted and Belgium's terror alert level was raised to maximum, officials said.

"One person has died and perhaps there are several more," said a police official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the situation was developing.

The explosions hit at the middle of the busiest time at the airport, which serves the city that is the capital of the 28-nation European Union. NATO is also headquartered in the region.

Smoke was seen billowing out of the terminal after Tuesday's morning's blasts.

Amateur video shown on France's i-Tele television showed passengers including a child running with a backpack dashing out of the terminal different directions as they tugged luggage, Another image showed a security officer patroling inside a hall with blasted paneling and what appears to be ceiling insulation covering the floor.

"There were two blasts in the departure hall. First aid team are in place for help," airport spokeswoman Anke Fransen said

Passengers were led onto the tarmac and the crisis center urged people not to come to the airport.

The explosions happened only days after the prime suspect in the Paris attacks Salah Abdeslam was arrested in Brussels.

___

Angela Charlton in Paris contributed

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

 

 
Source URL: http://cnsnews.com/news/article/police-say-least-one-dead-and-many-injured-after-two-explosions-brussels-airport

[EC]

Anna Ahronheim ‏@AAhronheim 18m18 minutes ago

Update: At least 4 explosions at different metro stations across the city--- #Brussles fire dept

[EC]

RT Verified account ‏@RT_com 2m2 minutes ago

MORE: Security alert raising in London, Frankfurt, Paris & other EU cities after #Brussels attacks http://on.rt.com/77nz

[rangerrebew]

 Frankfurt airport on high alert after Brussels explosions
A police officer stands by check-in desks at Frankfurt airport. File photo: DPA
 
http://www.thelocal.de/20160322/germany-tightens-airport-controls-after-brussels-explosions

Published: 22 Mar 2016 09:28 GMT+01:00
Updated: 22 Mar 2016 10:09 GMT+01:00
 

German federal police are tightening security at the country's largest airport in Frankfurt following two explosions at Brussels airport.

Officers have been placed on high alert and additional patrols ordered for sensitive areas, broadcaster n-tv reported early on Tuesday.

A federal police spokeswoman told The Local that they were still evaluating the situation following the explosions in Brussels and would give details of security measures at other airports as soon as possible.

One The Local reader reported increased police presence at Cologne airport on Tuesday morning.

    .@TheLocalGermany At #CGN visibly larger police presence as well as of now. #Brussels #Cologne
    — G. Shurkhovetskyy (@shurkhovetskyy) 22. März 2016

Federal police were also unable to comment on whether security would be increased on local transport services in German cities after explosions were also reported on the Brussels metro system at the Maalbeek, Schuman and Arts-Loi stations.

    La RTBF confirme les explosions aux stations Arts-loi, Maelbeek (gouvernement belge) et Schuman (Union européenne)
    — Vivien Vergnaud (@Vergnaud) March 22, 2016

A spokeswoman for the Berlin police told The Local that security measures on public transport were already at a high level and were constantly adjusted to the security situation.

    Just arrived at Schuman station after walking on the tracks. pic.twitter.com/4xc0YCQmIv
    — Evan Lamos (@evanlamos) 22. März 2016

    Area around Maelbeek metro sealed off, I can see 4 ambulances, 1 fire engine. pic.twitter.com/xFmMBqcVdZ
    — Jennifer Rankin (@JenniferMerode) March 22, 2016

Two explosions in airport

Brussels airport confirmed that there had been two explosions shortly after 8am and warned passengers not to come to the airport, which would be closed until further notice.

Belgian police confirmed that at least one person died and several were injured in the blasts.

    Picture of Airport Zaventem #Brussels after the attack pic.twitter.com/pbolw99pfz
    — Lammert de Bruin (@lammert) 22. März 2016

However other unconfirmed reports say as many as 11 could have been killed. One witness said children were among the injured.

    Bomb explosion at Brussel airport. Apparent terrorist activity. Airport is on lockdown and being evacuated. pic.twitter.com/nPRbdzFQdO
    — Taa Wongbe (@twongbe) 22. März 2016

Belgian authorities have implemented their emergency response plan and the terror alert has been raised to its maximum level.

The city has since gone into lock-down with the capital's Metro system closed down and unconfirmed reports the main train station has been evacuated.

A section of the airport's roof is believed to have collapsed amid the explosions, one of which is believed to have occurred in the departure lounge.

    echt #wtf daar in #zaventem :-( pic.twitter.com/2AGTBBA0xs
    — ward markey (@wardmarkey) 22. März 2016

Images and videos showed smoke rising above the airport while passengers fled in panic. Other images showed injured passengers lying on the ground, some covered in blood, with their clothes ripped off in the explosion.

The cause of the explosions is unknown, but they come at a time when the Belgium capital is on high alert for terror attacks after the arrest of Salah Abdeslam, the chief suspect in the Paris November attacks.

One witness named David Crunelle told L'Express newspaper: "I heard two distinct explosions about three seconds apart. They occurred near the international check-in desks for flights to the United States.

"After the explosion, everything became dark. There was a lot of smoke but no flames. There was no movement of panic but people began to get out of the airport straight away.

"I saw at least six people severely injured, including children. There are a lot of people lightly injured, covered in blood. Many are crying," he said.

    Many ambulances arrive at the Airport. Passengers from Terminal A waiting outside, Police checks building. pic.twitter.com/DL3YoGFV0M
    — Katrin Kuntz (@katrinkuntz) March 22, 2016

Condolences from Germany

German leaders were quick to react on social media to the Brussels attacks.

    Schockierende Nachrichten aus #Brüssel. Das sind einfach barbarische Taten. Unsere Mitgefühl gilt den Familien und Freunden der Opfer.
    — Heiko Maas (@HeikoMaas) 22. März 2016

"Shocking news from Brussels. These are simply barbaric acts. Our sympathy goes to the families and friends of the victims," Justice Minister Heiko Maas tweeted.

    Wir hören von weiteren Explosionen hier in der Brüsseler Innenstadt. Beunruhigend. Wir bleiben erstmal in den Gebäuden.
    — Simone Peter (@peter_simone) March 22, 2016

Green Party leader Simone Peter was in Brussels at the time of the attacks and said she was sheltering indoors. The situation was "upsetting", she said.

[A-Lert]

Reported suicide bomber at Brussels airport. Death toll reported at 23 now in possible 5 explosions.

[EC]

Sky News Australia Verified account ‏@SkyNewsAust 4m4 minutes ago

Belgian media reporting three unused suicide belts were found inside #Brussels airport.


UNCONFIRMED.

[Lando Lincoln]

Damn

[EC]

Sputnik Verified account ‏@SputnikInt 7m7 minutes ago

BREAKING Bomb Disposal techs safely detonate another bomb in #Brussels http://sptnkne.ws  #BrusselsAttack

[mountaineer]

Words cannot express my anger at these evil creatures.  :nometalk:

Brussels Airport and Metro Explosions Kill at Least 16: Officials
by Cassandra Vinograd, David Wyllie and Alastair Jamieson
NBC News


At least 16 people were killed Tuesday after explosions rocked the check-in zone of Brussels Airport and the Belgian capital's subway.

Officials raised the terror threat level, shut down all public transport in the city and advised locals to stay indoors after what appeared to be coordinated attacks.

Belgium's federal prosecutor said one of at least two explosions at the airport was likely caused by a suicide bomber. Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel added that it was "dark moment for our country."

Authorities confirmed an explosion at Maalbeck metro station killed 15 people and injured 55 others. At least 1 fatality ocurred at the airport, federal police told NBC News. Belgium's Le Soir and La Libre put the death toll there at around a dozen but NBC News was no immediately able to verify those reports.

Passengers fled the airport's departures hall after the first incident around 8 a.m. local time (3 a.m. ET).

 Pictures from the smoky terminal showed bloodied victims, shattered glass and debris.

"There are several dead and wounded but we can't say how many at this point," a federal police spokesman said.

A security source told NBC News that one of the airport explosions happened near check-in desk four in Departure Hall 1, which is used by international carriers including American Airlines.

Eyewitness Jef Versele was heading on a business trip to Rome when he heard an explosion.

"Soon after that one a second one hit — and everything came down," he told NBC News. "There was dust everywhere, glass everywhere there was chaos. There were people on the floor everywhere. The roofing came down. It was quite a mess."

 Roads and public transportation leading to the airport were shut and incoming flights were diverted.

Scenes from the subway explosion showed smoke pouring out of the station — which is located near European Union institution buildings. Images posted on social media showed injured people receiving medical treatment on the sidewalk outside.

Michael Ryan, head of the EU delegation to Rwanda, was coming up the escalator at another station just a few hundred feet away when he felt a "soft boom."

"The air pressure from the explosion went up the line and rattled everything," he told NBC News. "Everything is tense here."

 All trains, planes, trams and buses were halted in Brussels. The main Midi train station was evacuated.

Sunita Van Heers had come to the train station after seeing the metro was on lockdown. Then police evacuated the station.

"Everybody started panicking, crying, not knowing what was happening," she said, describing how police ordered people away from the station. "It's scary."

The rapidly unfolding crisis caused cellphone networks in Brussels to jam, with officials urging people to use WhatsApp or Twitter because the networks were becoming saturated.

The incident comes amid a flurry of counterterrorism activity in the Belgian capital.

A raid in Brussels on Friday captured Europe's most wanted man — Salah Abdeslam, suspected Paris terror attacks plotter and aborted suicide attacker.

Abdeslam was taken into custody along with several others. His capture has been seen as a potential goldmine of information for intelligence services — if he cooperates.

he 26-year-old and several of the attackers who laid siege to Paris on Nov. 13 had ties to Belgium.

On Monday, officials named another potential suspect and asked for public assistance in locating him.

Belgium's foreign minister said following Abdeslam's arrest that the suspect had been planning to "restart something" in Brussels — the suggestion of a new attack that was taken all the more seriously given the large amounts of heavy weapons found during his arrest.

There was no formal claim of responsibility for Tuesday's blasts — and one senior European counter-terrorism official told NBC News that authorities were scrambling to determine who was behind the assault.

"We have no clue yet," the official told NBC News. "Right now, we are trying to mount a defense."

Versele added: "A lot of people were in panic. I saw a lot of blood, a lot of people were injured. People were crying, on the floor, covered by parts of the roofing. I saw a lot of leg injuries, a lot of people couldn't move anymore. There were quite a lot of people injured. In the departure hall — you saw people storming out, it was like run for your life."

Live updates

[mountaineer]

Latest reports say 28 dead.

[rangerrebew]

Dozens feared dead as bombs rock Brussels airport and metro station
#BrusselsAttacks

Reports say 26 killed and many injured in blasts at Zaventem airport and Maalbeek station, days after Paris attacks suspect arrested in city
Injured passengers at the Zaventem airport (Source: Facebook/Ketevan Kardava)
 
Peter Allen
 
Last update:
Tuesday 22 March 2016 12:03 UTC
 

BRUSSELS - Dozens of people are feared dead and many more injured as multiple blasts rocked an airport and metro station in Brussels on Tuesday, days after the arrest in the city of a key suspect in the Paris suicide attacks of last year.

Belgium's prime minister Charles Michel said: 'What we feared has happened, we were hit by blind, cowardly attacks. We know there are many dead, many injured."

Two "enormous" explosions ripped through Zaventem airport, while a blast at Maalbeek metro station later destroyed a train carriage.

Local broadcaster VRT quoted a prosecutor as saying 11 people were killed and 35 injured at Zaventem, while 15 were reported killed and 55 injured at Maalbeek, although those figures have not been confirmed by the government.

The chaos began at 8am local time on Tuesday, when two explosions - the first believed to have been a suicide attack - tore through Zaventem's check-in area.

The first blast reportedly sent panicking travellers towards a second, larger explosion that brought down ceilings and sent a thick plume of smoke into the sky.

About an hour later, a blast hit an underground train at Maalbeek metro station during the rush period. Pictures on social media showed a gutted train carriage, and a police officer told the AFP news agency: "There are wounded, There are dead. I don't know how many."

A witness at Maalbeek said: "We felt an explosion which appeared to come from the front of the train. There was a lot of smoke. The glass doors were blown out. The explosion must have been enormous."

Local reports suggested suicide bombers linked to Salah Abdeslam, who was arrested on Friday in Brussels over the Islamic State group's attacks in Paris last November, which killed 130 people.

Images and video on social media showed people fleeing from Zaventem, and others injured in the check-in area.

One airport witness said: "I saw people lying on the ground covered in blood who were not moving. At least six or seven people's legs were crushed. A lot of people lost limbs."

Airport baggage security officer Alphonse Lyoura told the AFP news agency: "A man shouted a few words in Arabic and then I heard a huge blast."

Zach Mouzoun, who had arrived at the airport just before the blasts, told France's BFM television the second explosion brought down ceilings and ruptured pipes.

"It was atrocious," he said. "There was blood everywhere, injured people, bags everywhere. We were walking in the debris. It was a war scene."

Belga also reported that shots had been heard after the blasts, although this was not confirmed by Belgian authorities. All flights in and out of the airport were halted.

One airport employee told broadcaster VRT: "I was on a break and heard and felt a big explosion and saw a plume of smoke. The windows are completely shattered. People went outside in shock."

The explosions on Tuesday prompted authorities to increase security at airports and transport hubs across western Europe.

Belgium's national crisis centre said all metro stations, trains and public transport systems were being shut down in Brussels, and urged people to stay at home.

The country's interior minister, Jan Jambon, said on Monday that the country was on high alert for a possible revenge attack following the capture of 26-year-old Abdeslam.

"We know that stopping one cell can ... push others into action. We are aware of it in this case."
- See more at: http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/brussels-airport-rocked-two-explosions-770256442#sthash.rtwEB3NN.dpuf

[aligncare]

More Islamic terrorism. Which sadly points out the lunacy of bringing unvetted Muslims into the United States until a consensus is reached on how to deal with the potential for terrorists slipping in with refugees.

Obama and Clinton want to increase the numbers of Syrian refugees relocated here. That's a suicidial policy. And that's one of the reasons why Donald Trump is leading. His proposal of halting Muslim refugee relocation to the United States until we can figure out what's going on makes sense to millions of commonsense conservatives like me.

[NavyCanDo]

Brussels is now 25.5% Muslim. How does that happen?  And that is a  rhetorical question.

Once a beautiful city full of culture, and a very low crime rate, is now a hell hole, and a very dangerous place to live. I heard from an American who has lived there for the last 8 years that European women don't go out after dark in Brussels because of cars full of North Africans than that drive around like vultures looking for women to kidnap and rape, and even disappear forever sold into slavery. Just a nightmare.   

[mountaineer]

When I saw this news this morning my first thought was the terror attacks of 1985 at two other European airports:

The Rome and Vienna airport attacks were two major terrorist attacks carried out on 27 December 1985. Seven Arab terrorists attacked two airports in Rome, Italy, and Vienna, Austria with assault rifles and hand grenades. Nineteen civilians were killed and over a hundred others were injured before four of the terrorists were killed by El-Al Security personnel and local police, who captured the remaining three. ...

More at Wikipedia.

I last visited Brussels in 1983 and always wanted to return. However, it's not the same city anymore.

[Lando Lincoln]

More Islamic terrorism. Which sadly points out the lunacy of bringing unvetted Muslims into the United States until a consensus is reached on how to deal with the potential for terrorists slipping in with refugees.

Obama and Clinton want to increase the numbers of Syrian refugees relocated here. That's a suicidial policy. And that's one of the reasons why Donald Trump is leading. His proposal of halting Muslim refugee relocation to the United States until we can figure out what's going on makes sense to millions of commonsense conservatives like me.

Very valid and correct observation, my friend.  I would hope that no one here makes this thread about anything (or anyone) other than the horror in Belgium specifically, and the world in general.