Belgian bomb squad DOVO has performed a controlled explosion at the premises of the Vrije University in Brussels, after a suspicious object was found at the campus, the university tweeted. The unidentified object was blown as a precaution measure. All students and staff were evacuated.
Brussels police have told Sputnik that Zaventem’s great hall was targeted in the blast, but they couldn’t confirm the number of the victims in the attack.
“There was an explosion, but we cannot say more,” a police spokesperson said.
A suicide bomber was responsible for one of the blasts, Belgian broadcaster VRT said. Three suicide belts packed with explosives have been found at the Brussels airport by police, local TV reported.Reports also suggest that first there was a shot fired in the departure hall, then something was called out in Arabic, and only afterward, two explosions rocked the facility.Reports suggest that one of the explosions took place near the American Airlines check-in desk. A government source confirmed to VRT broadcaster that it was an attack, while Anke Fransen, spokeswoman for Brussels Airport, said there were multiple injuries. “We can confirm that there have been two explosions in the departure hall. We called the emergency services on the ground – they [are] now provid[ing] first aid to the injured.”