During the Tuesday morning rush hour on March 22, terror struck Brussels, the capital of Belgium. Belgian broadcaster RTF says that at least 11 people died in the attack at the Zaventem airport with at least 100 wounded, and that 20 people died at the Maelbeek metro station with 130 people wounded. These numbers could potentially rise and are subject to change as more official announcements are made.
Belgium has upgraded to a Level 4 terror alert, the highest possible, with security heightened at borders and ports. All flights have been cancelled and incoming flights diverted, and all public transportation is closed in the city.
“What we feared has happened, we were hit by blind attacks,” Prime Minister Charles Michel said at a midday news conference Tuesday.
An apparent suicide bomber set off a bomb at around 8 a.m. local time that hit near the departure gates at Zaventem airport. An hour later, an explosion on a train shut down the Maelbeek station and the nearby European Union headquarters. As of now there seems to have been at least three explosions during these attacks, two at the airport and one at or near the train station. The Associated Press reported that a third bomb was deactivated at the Brussels airport.
Countries throughout Europe, including France and Germany, have increased their security in wake of the attacks. Cities across the United States are also on high alert, with increased security measures being taken in places like New York City, Chicago, Washington D.C., Los Angeles and Boston. While security will remain vigilant, according to authorities, there were no indications on Tuesday of specific threats against U.S. targets.
Father Linnane released an email to the Loyola community on Tuesday morning about the attacks, explaining that the University made contact with all of the students studying abroad in Leuven, Belgium and can confirm that they are safe. Loyola has a year-long program in Leuven, located about 15 minutes outside of Brussels.
In his closing, Father Linnane left the Loyola community with these thoughts, “In these dark moments in our world, I hope each of us can find hope and light in that promise of rebirth and a brighter future—one each of us can work to achieve.”
NOTE: This is a developing story. As mentioned above, some details are subject to change as new announcements come out within the next several hours, or several days. The Greyhound will update the story as new information becomes available.
NPR , The Associated Press and USA Today contributed to this report.
