Brussels airport and metro hit by explosions

A number of explosions have struck Brussels airport and the metro system, with 31 deaths reported so far. Two blasts occurred in the morning of 22 March (local time 08:00 GMT) which destroyed the departures area of Zaventem airport, with a later explosion at Maelbeek metro station, close to the EU institutions. Both the airport and the whole of the transport system have been shut down. Brussels transport officials have said that 20 people have died at Maelbeek during the metro explosions and 11 have died as a result of the airport attacks. The attacks come four days after Salah Abdeslam was captured and arrested by Brussels police and Belgium has now raised its terror threat to its highest level. Officials have agreed the explosions were most likely caused by suicide bombs. The Belgium government has yet to confirm the total number of deaths and injuries or the exact cause of the explosions but Belgium broadcaster VRT has reported that in addition to the deaths, at least 35 people have been severely injured. The Belgian Federal Prosecutor has claimed that the explosions this morning at Brussels Airport and Maelbeek were terror attacks.