At least 26 people have been killed or seriously injured in terrorist
attacks at Brussels international airport and a city metro station.
Twin blasts hit Zaventem airport at about 07:00 GMT, killing 11 and
injuring 81, the health minister said.
Another explosion struck Maelbeek metro station an hour later. Brussels
transport officials say
15 people were killed and 55 injured, 10 seriously.
Belgium has now raised its terrorism threat to its highest level.
The attacks come four days after Salah Abdeslam, the main fugitive in the
Paris attacks, was seized in Brussels.
Prime Minister Charles Michel called the latest attacks "blind,
violent and cowardly", adding: "This is a day of tragedy, a black
day... I would like to call on everyone to show calmness and solidarity".
European Council president Donald Tusk said: "These attacks mark
another low by the terrorists in the service of hatred and violence."
The airport and the entire public transport system in Brussels are closed.
'Blood everywhere'
Two blasts tore through the departures area of Zaventem airport shortly
after 08:00 local time (07:00 GMT).
The Belgian prosecutor said "probably a suicide bomber" was
involved.
The state-owned Belga news agency reports that shots were fired and shouts
in Arabic were heard before the two explosions.
Public broadcaster VRT said an assault rifle was found next to a dead
attacker.
Images on social media showed panic as people fled the airport.
Zach Mouzoun, arriving on a flight from Geneva, told France's BFM
television: "It was atrocious. The ceilings collapsed. There was blood
everywhere, injured people, bags everywhere. We were walking in the debris. It
was a war scene."
All flights have been diverted. Eurostar has cancelled all trains to and
from Brussels. The Thalys France-Benelux train operator says the entire network
is closed.
Security has been stepped up at Gatwick and Heathrow airports and the UK
Foreign Office has advised British nationals to avoid crowded areas in Belgium.
UK PM David Cameron chaired a meeting of the
Cobra
response committee on Tuesday.
France has stepped up security, and the cabinet has held an emergency
meeting.
"The terrorists have struck Belgium but it is Europe that was
targeted. And it is the whole world that is concerned with this," said
French President Francois Hollande.
There is also extra security at Dutch airports.
The metro blast occurred shortly after 08:00 GMT during the rush hour at
Maelbeek station.
It struck the middle carriage of a three-carriage train while it was moving
away from the platform.
Alexandre Brans told AP: "The metro was leaving Maelbeek station when
there was a really loud explosion. It was panic everywhere. There were a lot of
people in the metro."
There are fears the death toll could rise.
Image copyright PA Image caption The departures hall at Zaventem following
the blasts Image copyright Horst Pilger Image caption Security has been stepped
up after the explosions Image copyright Ralph Usbeck via AP Image caption Passengers
react in the smoke-filled aftermath at the airport
The station is close to EU institutions. The European Commission, the EU's
executive arm, has told employees to stay indoors or at home. All meetings at
EU institutions have been cancelled.
Ryan McGhee, a catering worker at a college in Brussels, told the BBC:
"The entire city is in lockdown. People are calm at the moment but the
atmosphere is tense."
Media captionBrussels airport worker: 'My colleague hid in the luggage
carousel'
Belgium's Interior Minister Jan Jambon had said on Monday that the country
was on the highest level of alert for possible revenge attacks after the
capture of Salah Abdeslam.
He told Belgian radio: "We know that stopping one cell can... push
others into action. We are aware of it in this case."
Zaventem airport is 11km (7 miles) north-east of Brussels and dealt with
more than 23 million passengers last year.
(
BBC, 22
March, 2016)