At Least 15 Reportedly Killed In Blasts At Maalbeek Metro Station Near EU Offices

Bodies litter scene after the blast at the Maalbeek metro station in Brussels

A blast at the Maalbeek metro station in Brussels has killed at least 15 people according the local transport operator STIB. The explosion took place less than an hour after a deadly airport bombing, which killed at least 17 people.

RT report continues:

The Belgian broadcaster mentions that the death toll is between at least 15 people, while a further 55 people have been injured following the explosion, according to the public transport operator STIB, as cited by Reuters. 

The Federal Public Prosecutor has confirmed that the Maalbeek metro station blast was a terrorist attack, according to the Belga news agency. 

Large amounts of smoke have been seen coming out of the metro station in the Belgian capital. Brussels’ transport authority says all metro stations in the city have been closed, Reuters reports.

An AP reporter said he saw a number of people with facial injuries following the explosion at the Maalbeek metro station. Alexandre Brans, who was wiping blood from his face, said that he saw at least two people being carried away on stretchers. 

"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," he said. 

Images on social media have shown passengers being evacuated from inside the metro and walking along the train tracks. 

"It is just a pure chaos at the moment on the streets," Annie Machon, a former intelligence officer for MI5, who lives in a Belgium capital told RT. "The metro bombing was in Maalbeek, which is indeed 5 minutes down the road from me. The whole of the area is just now in lockdown, the sirens going off everywhere, there are helicopters overhead," she added. 

The Maalbeek station is also near a number of important EU buildings such as Berlaymont building, which houses the EU Commission and the Council of the European Union.

Staff working at the EU commission have also been told to stay indoors. 

Belgian authorities have raised the security alert to the highest level following blasts at the Zaventem Airport and Maalbeek Metro station.

Due to the current security situation in Brussels, the city’s transport authority has closed all public transport services. 

Eurostar has taken the decision in the wake of the attacks to cancel trains running to and from Brussels on Tuesday. Staff have told people not to come to the station and that tickets can be exchanged for free. 

"No trains are currently running to or from Brussels Midi," the high speed rail service said on its Twitter feed, as cited by Reuters. "Brussels customers are advised to postpone, and not come to station."

Meanwhile, a crisis center in Brussels has been telling members of the public to “stay where you are.” The Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel has also issued a similar plea to the people of Brussels. 

The general public in the Belgian capital is also being advised not to call friends and family as the phone networks are becoming saturated. Instead, people are being asked to text or use social media in order to stay in touch with friends and family. 

The attacks in Brussels have been condemned by Martin Schulz, the president of the European Parliament, who described them as being “heinous attacks.”

“My thoughts with #Brussels and its citizens after these heinous attacks. Stay in a safe place, follow instructions of authorities,” he wrote on his Twitter feed. 

The French BFMTV station, citing police sources, says that Belgian intelligence had advanced knowledge of the terrorist attacks in the country, but did not know when and where they would take place. 

French citizen Salah Abdeslam, the prime surviving suspect for November's Paris attacks on a stadium, cafes and a concert hall, which killed 130 people, was captured by Belgian police following a shootout on Friday.

Belgium's Interior Minister, Jan Jambon, said on Monday the country was on high alert for a revenge attack.

"We know that stopping one cell can ... push others into action. We are aware of it in this case," he told public radio, as cited by Reuters.

'Total Mayhem': Witness Describes To RT Chaotic Scene After Brussels’ Airport Blast

A screengrab taken from Sky TV of the scene at Brussels Airport, Belgium, where two explosions have been heard

One man who witnessed the fatal explosions at Brussels’ Zaventem Airport spoke to RT about what he’s been through. “It was total mayhem. Blood, dust, people screaming and running away,” Rob Verreykken said.

“I was around 100 meters from the entrance of the airport when I heard a large blast and saw this screen of dust coming out. It was immediately clear for everyone that it was an attack. People started screaming and running away. We then went into hiding around the corner and waited for some time. Then people started coming out. They were really in shock, all covered in blood,” Verreykken recalled.

“I talked to one person who said, ‘I saw people lying down on the floor without legs, without other parts of their bodies. This was terrible, I will never forget it.’ I talked to a man who came from Africa, and was taking a flight to Kinshasa. He said, ‘I was in a hall and saw people literally being blast away around me, I only survived because I was behind a small brick wall.’” he added.

Verreykken described the situation as “total mayhem.”

He said the evacuation is currently underway.

“We're now standing with thousands of people outside of the airport, with police, ambulances and fire brigades rushing in. We still hear a lot of sirens.”

“Of course, this is the result of the insane policy in Western Europe,” Verreykken told RT. “They have left the borders completely open, I can only congratulate Russians and Mr. Putin that they are much smarter than we are here in Western Europe.”

Two blasts rocked the departure hall of Zaventem Airport at about 8am local time, reportedly killing 17 people and leaving dozens injured. One of the explosions reportedly took place near the American Airlines check-in desk.

The Belgian Prosecutor General’s office has confirmed the deaths of at least 13 people at the airport. One of the blasts was enacted by a suicide bomber, Belgian TV reported.

Belgian police have found three unused suicide belts at Zaventem Airport, TASS cited Belgian TV as saying.

No planes are currently landing at Brussels airport, which is in lockdown. Planes are being diverted to Antwerp.

The last time the Zaventem Airport came under attack was in 1979 when three Palestinian terrorists threw grenades at passengers who disembarked from an El Al flight from Israel. The attack, which left 12 people wounded, forced local authorities to review security at the airport, DH.be reported.