Tuesday, 22 March 2016

34 people killed in a suicide bomb attack at Brussels Airport

Shocking: Injured passengers are covered in blood and dust after the explosions rocked the terminal building at Brussels Airport

Cowering under desks and running for their lives, this is the terrifying moment passengers were caught up in a suicide bomb attack at Brussels Airport today in a series of blasts that have killed at least 34 people across the city.

Witnesses described apocalyptic scenes with blood and 'dismembered bodies everywhere' after two blasts rocked the terminal at around 8am (7am GMT), killing at least 14 people and injuring 35 others.

Then 79 minutes later at 9.19am, at least 20 people were killed and 55 injured, some critically, when a blast hit a Metro station just 400 metres from the EU headquarters in the city centre. At the airport, there were reports of a firefight between police and the attackers who shouted in Arabic moments before detonating their bombs. A Kalashnikov was later recovered from the scene.

The blasts, which detonated near the American Airlines and Brussels airlines check-in desks, sent shockwaves through the terminal building, shattering windows and knocking roof tiles off the ceiling as terrified passengers ran for their lives.

The explosions have left countries worldwide reeling, with security placed on high alert, flights cancelled, Eurostar services suspended and France's border with Belgium shut down. Two suspects were arrested a mile from the Maelbeek metro station at around 11am as hundreds of troops and police flooded the streets of Brussels in the hunt for members of the terror cell.

Soldiers have been also been deployed at the airport and other key locations across Brussels as Belgium raised security to its maximum level. The bombings come just a day after the Belgium Interior Minister warned of possible revenge attacks after the arrest of Paris massacre suspect Salah Abdeslam in the city on Friday.

Photographs from inside the arrivals hall showed the floor covered in fallen tiles and dust as bloodied people hobbled out of the airport. Others injured were photographed lying on the floor. Video showed terrified passengers running for their lives out of the building.

Firefighters who entered the terminal to search for survivors are said to have found a third unexploded device, while armed police in protective clothing combed the building for more wounded travellers and suspicious bags.

London Mayor Boris Johnson today said 'there may be one UK casualty' in the explosions and another Briton is understood to have been injured in the airport attack. Samir Derrouich, who works at a restaurant in the airport, told MailOnline: 'The two explosions were almost simultaneous.

'They were both at a check-in desk. One was close to the Starbucks. It was awful. There was just blood. It was like the apocalypse.'

Dries Valaert, 30, was waiting to get his boarding pass from a check in desk when the blast struck.

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Editor at AS-Media. He is a Photographer, Blogger and Videographer. He enjoys travelling and you can not separate him from Music and Movies. He has passion for Brands managements/Web management. Reach him via email: babatunde-ojedokun@live.com, (+234) 08185100100 (SMS Only) Instagram @babatunde.ojedokun.

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