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Live updates: Brussels terror attack leaves at least 34 dead, multiple Americans injured
| Los Angeles Times | - |
A
series of terrorist attacks struck Brussels early Tuesday, leaving at
least 34 dead and scores injured. What we know so far: 3 explosions went
off in the Belgian capital Tuesday morning: 2 in the Brussels airport
around 8 a.m.
Islamic State claims responsibility for Brussels attacks that killed at least 34
Sheldon Chad, Christina Boyle
Hezbollah has condemned the terrorist
attacks in the Belgian capital of Brussels that left at least 34 dead
and scores injured on Tuesday.
"No place in the world is safe from its evil and crimes, crimes that are derived from its black venom towards humanity," the group said in a statement, referring to "takfiri terrorist groups."
Islamic State claimed responsibility for the three explosions at two main transit hubs, attributing them to a "security group from the soldiers of the caliphate."
The first attack came at roughly 8 a.m., when two explosions hit Brussels Airport, sending terrified passengers fleeing during one of the busiest times of the day. Around an hour later, an explosion struck the Maelbeek metro station, located near the political hub of the city and close to European Union institutions. A suicide bomber was responsible for at least one of the explosions, the Brussels public prosecutor said, according to Belgian radio.
Officials reported that 14 were killed and 81 were injured at the airport, although they acknowledged that the numbers were provisional. Twenty others were killed at Maelbeek station, Brussels Mayor Yvan Mayeur told Belgian media. The country declared three days of national mourning.
"I heard one shot," Alphonse Lyoura, a baggage security officer at the airport who witnessed the explosion, told French broadcaster BFMTV. "But after the shot, I heard someone who spoke an Arabic language. After a few words, there was an explosion, a loud detonation. Everyone was in a general panic; it was horrible. Belgium doesn't deserve this, seriously.
"I helped six or seven people. We pulled out five bodies that were no longer moving. It was a scene of horror. Belgium doesn't deserve this. There was a man who had lost both his legs, a policeman whose leg was completely smashed," Lyoura said in tears.
Belgian federal police have released a still image taken from a CCTV camera that shows possible suspects at Brussels Airport. A cropped version of the photo was posted on the agency's official Twitter account, showing a man wearing a light-colored jacket, hat and glasses and pushing a luggage cart with a black bag. "Who knows this man?" it asked.
Islamic State issued a statement saying its attackers chose the sites "carefully" and were "wrapped in explosive belts and carrying explosive canisters and machine guns."
"What is coming is worse and more bitter, Allah permitting," the terror group warned. "Thanks be to Allah for his accuracy and success, and we ask Allah to accept our brothers among the martyrs."
Three Utah men in Europe to serve the Paris mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were among those seriously injured in the airport attack, church officials said.
The men, identified as Richard Norby, 66, of Lehi, Joseph Empe, 20, of Santa Clara and Mason Wells, 19, of Sandy, were at the airport to accompany another Mormon missionary on her way to Ohio. A Mormon church official in Brussels said all three men were hospitalized.
A U.S. service member and his family also were "caught up in this tragedy," the U.S. European Command said in a statement. The agency would not release the status of their injuries.
As Belgium remained on edge, its prime minister publicly mourned the dead.
"These are lives broken in mid-flight — people who were going around most likely without a care in their minds, on their way to work or to school, and who have now been cut down by barbarism of the most extreme kind," Charles Michel said.
Michel urged people to remain calm but described the day as a black one for the country.
"Our country and our citizens have been struck by blind attacks, violent and cowardly, and our first thoughts are with the victims, with their families," he said.
People in the city were asked to remain indoors as Brussels came to a standstill and armed police and emergency services moved into the streets. Officials raised the terrorist threat to its maximum level.
All flights at the airport were canceled until further notice, and the entire Brussels transportation system was shut down. International train travel into Belgium also was suspended.
The incidents come four days after one of the suspects in November's fatal Paris terrorist attacks, Salah Abdeslam, was apprehended in Brussels after four months on the run.
Authorities said Abdeslam had helped create a jihadist network centered in the city and had been planning a fresh attack. A large cache of weapons had been discovered when he was captured, officials said. They also had warned of possible retaliatory attacks and said other terrorists were on the loose.
"ISIS is under increasing pressure in Europe," said Brian Levin, a Cal State San Bernardino professor and terrorism expert, using an acronym for Islamic State. "And timing-wise, particularly in Europe, this is speeding up their schedule of attacks. Frankly, there are more terror networks in Belgium and France, and ability to hide within a population that is supportive of them. ... Belgium is ground zero for ISIS networks in Europe.
"Belgium has sent more foreign fighters from Europe to ISIS frontlines than any other country," he added.
President Obama, in Havana, prefaced a speech to the Cuban people by condemning "these outrageous attacks against innocent people."
"We will do whatever is necessary to support our friend and ally Belgium in bringing to justice those who are responsible," he said. "We can and we will defeat those who threaten the safety and security of those all around the world."
The White House said the president had spoken with Michel by phone, offering condolences and assistance.
Secretary of State John F. Kerry said the U.S. Embassy in Brussels was trying to track down and ensure the safety of U.S. citizens in the area.
In Washington, the Justice Department said that FBI and counter-terrorism officials were working with their Belgian counterparts and that Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch had been briefed.
British, French and German government officials issued statements pledging support for Belgium. German Chancellor Angela Merkel called for "solidarity with the victims" in the "fight against terrorists."
"No place in the world is safe from its evil and crimes, crimes that are derived from its black venom towards humanity," the group said in a statement, referring to "takfiri terrorist groups."
Islamic State claimed responsibility for the three explosions at two main transit hubs, attributing them to a "security group from the soldiers of the caliphate."
The first attack came at roughly 8 a.m., when two explosions hit Brussels Airport, sending terrified passengers fleeing during one of the busiest times of the day. Around an hour later, an explosion struck the Maelbeek metro station, located near the political hub of the city and close to European Union institutions. A suicide bomber was responsible for at least one of the explosions, the Brussels public prosecutor said, according to Belgian radio.
Officials reported that 14 were killed and 81 were injured at the airport, although they acknowledged that the numbers were provisional. Twenty others were killed at Maelbeek station, Brussels Mayor Yvan Mayeur told Belgian media. The country declared three days of national mourning.
"I heard one shot," Alphonse Lyoura, a baggage security officer at the airport who witnessed the explosion, told French broadcaster BFMTV. "But after the shot, I heard someone who spoke an Arabic language. After a few words, there was an explosion, a loud detonation. Everyone was in a general panic; it was horrible. Belgium doesn't deserve this, seriously.
"I helped six or seven people. We pulled out five bodies that were no longer moving. It was a scene of horror. Belgium doesn't deserve this. There was a man who had lost both his legs, a policeman whose leg was completely smashed," Lyoura said in tears.
Belgian federal police have released a still image taken from a CCTV camera that shows possible suspects at Brussels Airport. A cropped version of the photo was posted on the agency's official Twitter account, showing a man wearing a light-colored jacket, hat and glasses and pushing a luggage cart with a black bag. "Who knows this man?" it asked.
Islamic State issued a statement saying its attackers chose the sites "carefully" and were "wrapped in explosive belts and carrying explosive canisters and machine guns."
"What is coming is worse and more bitter, Allah permitting," the terror group warned. "Thanks be to Allah for his accuracy and success, and we ask Allah to accept our brothers among the martyrs."
Three Utah men in Europe to serve the Paris mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were among those seriously injured in the airport attack, church officials said.
The men, identified as Richard Norby, 66, of Lehi, Joseph Empe, 20, of Santa Clara and Mason Wells, 19, of Sandy, were at the airport to accompany another Mormon missionary on her way to Ohio. A Mormon church official in Brussels said all three men were hospitalized.
A U.S. service member and his family also were "caught up in this tragedy," the U.S. European Command said in a statement. The agency would not release the status of their injuries.
As Belgium remained on edge, its prime minister publicly mourned the dead.
"These are lives broken in mid-flight — people who were going around most likely without a care in their minds, on their way to work or to school, and who have now been cut down by barbarism of the most extreme kind," Charles Michel said.
Michel urged people to remain calm but described the day as a black one for the country.
"Our country and our citizens have been struck by blind attacks, violent and cowardly, and our first thoughts are with the victims, with their families," he said.
People in the city were asked to remain indoors as Brussels came to a standstill and armed police and emergency services moved into the streets. Officials raised the terrorist threat to its maximum level.
All flights at the airport were canceled until further notice, and the entire Brussels transportation system was shut down. International train travel into Belgium also was suspended.
The incidents come four days after one of the suspects in November's fatal Paris terrorist attacks, Salah Abdeslam, was apprehended in Brussels after four months on the run.
Authorities said Abdeslam had helped create a jihadist network centered in the city and had been planning a fresh attack. A large cache of weapons had been discovered when he was captured, officials said. They also had warned of possible retaliatory attacks and said other terrorists were on the loose.
"ISIS is under increasing pressure in Europe," said Brian Levin, a Cal State San Bernardino professor and terrorism expert, using an acronym for Islamic State. "And timing-wise, particularly in Europe, this is speeding up their schedule of attacks. Frankly, there are more terror networks in Belgium and France, and ability to hide within a population that is supportive of them. ... Belgium is ground zero for ISIS networks in Europe.
"Belgium has sent more foreign fighters from Europe to ISIS frontlines than any other country," he added.
President Obama, in Havana, prefaced a speech to the Cuban people by condemning "these outrageous attacks against innocent people."
"We will do whatever is necessary to support our friend and ally Belgium in bringing to justice those who are responsible," he said. "We can and we will defeat those who threaten the safety and security of those all around the world."
The White House said the president had spoken with Michel by phone, offering condolences and assistance.
Secretary of State John F. Kerry said the U.S. Embassy in Brussels was trying to track down and ensure the safety of U.S. citizens in the area.
In Washington, the Justice Department said that FBI and counter-terrorism officials were working with their Belgian counterparts and that Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch had been briefed.
British, French and German government officials issued statements pledging support for Belgium. German Chancellor Angela Merkel called for "solidarity with the victims" in the "fight against terrorists."
At the train station, witnesses said they saw about a dozen people lying outside on the sidewalk.
A spokeswoman for Brussels Metro told Belgian TV that the explosion appeared to have been detonated inside a train car as it pulled into the station.
A passenger named Evan Lamos told the BBC he had been on a train heading into work and, like many other passengers, was reading news reports about the two blasts that had taken place at the airport earlier that morning.
As he approached Maelbeek station, he felt a blast of air and the train stopped.
"The lights turned out, the engine cut out and we heard a message come across the intercom saying there had been a disturbance on the line," he said.
A metro employee placed a ladder against the carriage and helped people off the train, directing them to walk back down the tunnel away from the blast.
"Everyone was walking out and helping each other," he said. "People were not really sure what was going on."
Inside the airport, there were scenes of chaos.
Jean-Pierre Lebeau, who had just arrived on a flight from Geneva, heard the first explosion. "We felt the blast. The ceiling fell in. ... There was the smell of powder. ... There was blood in the elevator," he told Agence France-Presse. "We took shelter with the border police, then we were told to evacuate."
A limousine driver parked outside the airport said the second explosion was louder than the first.
Sections of ceiling tiles had collapsed, and images captured on shaky cellphone videos showed bloodied travelers walking in a daze or lying injured on the floor.
"Everything is devastated. Nothing is left," one man, who was inside the airport at the time, told Belgian TV.
Some passengers sought shelter by running down baggage carousels, and others were herded onto the tarmac to wait until the area was cleared.
One passenger, Elena Chad, had just checked in to her flight to Philadelphia and was in Starbucks near the departure gates when people started to run and panic around her.
Passengers were rushed toward the gates, where they would usually board buses to be taken to their planes, and were taken to the DHL cargo terminal, she said.
People from all over the world — Dubai, India, Africa — were all gathered together, many dressed only in thin clothes and shivering from cold.
Chad said that as the travelers were taken onto the tarmac, a group of African missionaries tried to lift people's spirits by singing.
Outside the terminal, shattered windowpanes were visible, and people were seen running away as plumes of black smoke billowed from the building.
Airport officials said the site was being evacuated and warned: "Don't come to the area."
"There were glass splinters, smoke, water dripping from the ceiling," one witness told Belgian TV. "I was just waiting for my suitcase, and someone said, 'This is an evacuation.' "
Some travelers were eventually bused to a sports arena in nearby Zaventem, where officials handed out blankets, water and coffee.
Special correspondent Chad reported from Brussels and Boyle from London. Contributing to this report were special correspondents Kim Willsher in Paris and Nabih Bulos in Beirut, and Times staff writers W.J. Hennigan and Tracy Wilkinson in Washington and Richard Winton and Corina Knoll in Los Angeles.
ALSO
What we know so far about the fugitive Paris terror suspects
Full coverage of the Paris terror attacks
Video shows Paris attackers committing earlier Islamic State atrocities
A spokeswoman for Brussels Metro told Belgian TV that the explosion appeared to have been detonated inside a train car as it pulled into the station.
A passenger named Evan Lamos told the BBC he had been on a train heading into work and, like many other passengers, was reading news reports about the two blasts that had taken place at the airport earlier that morning.
As he approached Maelbeek station, he felt a blast of air and the train stopped.
"The lights turned out, the engine cut out and we heard a message come across the intercom saying there had been a disturbance on the line," he said.
A metro employee placed a ladder against the carriage and helped people off the train, directing them to walk back down the tunnel away from the blast.
"Everyone was walking out and helping each other," he said. "People were not really sure what was going on."
Inside the airport, there were scenes of chaos.
Jean-Pierre Lebeau, who had just arrived on a flight from Geneva, heard the first explosion. "We felt the blast. The ceiling fell in. ... There was the smell of powder. ... There was blood in the elevator," he told Agence France-Presse. "We took shelter with the border police, then we were told to evacuate."
A limousine driver parked outside the airport said the second explosion was louder than the first.
Sections of ceiling tiles had collapsed, and images captured on shaky cellphone videos showed bloodied travelers walking in a daze or lying injured on the floor.
"Everything is devastated. Nothing is left," one man, who was inside the airport at the time, told Belgian TV.
Some passengers sought shelter by running down baggage carousels, and others were herded onto the tarmac to wait until the area was cleared.
One passenger, Elena Chad, had just checked in to her flight to Philadelphia and was in Starbucks near the departure gates when people started to run and panic around her.
Passengers were rushed toward the gates, where they would usually board buses to be taken to their planes, and were taken to the DHL cargo terminal, she said.
People from all over the world — Dubai, India, Africa — were all gathered together, many dressed only in thin clothes and shivering from cold.
Chad said that as the travelers were taken onto the tarmac, a group of African missionaries tried to lift people's spirits by singing.
Outside the terminal, shattered windowpanes were visible, and people were seen running away as plumes of black smoke billowed from the building.
Airport officials said the site was being evacuated and warned: "Don't come to the area."
"There were glass splinters, smoke, water dripping from the ceiling," one witness told Belgian TV. "I was just waiting for my suitcase, and someone said, 'This is an evacuation.' "
Some travelers were eventually bused to a sports arena in nearby Zaventem, where officials handed out blankets, water and coffee.
Special correspondent Chad reported from Brussels and Boyle from London. Contributing to this report were special correspondents Kim Willsher in Paris and Nabih Bulos in Beirut, and Times staff writers W.J. Hennigan and Tracy Wilkinson in Washington and Richard Winton and Corina Knoll in Los Angeles.
ALSO
What we know so far about the fugitive Paris terror suspects
Full coverage of the Paris terror attacks
Video shows Paris attackers committing earlier Islamic State atrocities
Copyright
© 2016, Los Angeles Times
UPDATES
11:45 a.m.: This article was updated with a statement from Hezbollah.11:04 a.m.: This article has been updated with a quote from Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel.
10:49 a.m.: This article has been updated with information about a photo posted by Belgian police.
10:32 a.m.: This article has been updated with a higher death toll and other details.
10:12 a.m.: This article has been updated with information about a U.S. service member and his family, who may have been injured.
9:55 a.m.: This article has been updated with quotes from the Islamic State.
9:37 a.m.: This article has been updated with information from Amaq, the Islamic State's unofficial news agency.
8:45 a.m.: This article has been updated with Islamic State claiming responsibility for the attacks and other developments.
6:46 a.m.: This article has been updated with additional eyewitness accounts and context.
5:26 a.m.: This article has been updated with a statement by the Belgian prime minister and additional eyewitness accounts.
4:32 a.m.: This article has been updated with the suspension of train travel into Belgium.
4:22 a.m.: This article has been updated with additional information and death toll.
2:09 a.m.: This article has been updated with a new death toll.
1:55 a.m.: This article has been updated with another explosion at the Maelbeek metro station.
1:08 a.m.: This article has been updated with a death toll of one.
This article was originally published at 12:28 a.m.
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