14 dead, dozens injured in suicide attack at Brussels airport

Fourteen people have been killed and dozens others injured after two blasts rocked Brussels’ Zaventem Airport.

The terrorist link has been confirmed by the Belgian royal prosecutor. He has announced that the airport blast was a suicide attack, confirming the preliminary death toll of 14, as well as dozens others wounded. 

READ MORE: Terrified Brussels airport visitors flee terminal building after twin blasts (VIDEO)

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.

LIVE UPDATES: Brussels airport bombing

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."

Niels Caignau, flight watcher at Swissport, told Radio 1 that he heard an explosion at around 8:00 a.m. local time. 

"The windows outside the departure hall are completely shattered. Many people have run out with tears in [their] eyes. We were advised to stay indoors."

Other explosive devices have been discovered at the airport, RTBF correspondent Laurent Henrard cited firefighters as saying.

Rail traffic to the airport has been suspended, Reuters reports.

No planes are landing at Brussels Airport which is in lockdown, and planes are being diverted to Antwerp. Planes are circling over the city of Liege.

Sky News Middle East correspondent Alex Rossi, who was at the airport en route to Tel Aviv, has tweeted that he could "feel the buildings move."