A train station in Brussels was evacuated today after an explosion. A suicide bomber has blown himself up in the station. Shots rang out around 9 p.m. local time as police neutralized the suspect.
Witnesses say the man was carrying a rucksack of some sort when he went into the station.
Brussels police tweeted:
“… An incident with an individual at the station. The situation is under control.”
The Belgian capital’s grand palace, which is a major tourist destination, is only 656 feet away from the station.
Witnesses are saying that the bomber shouted, “Allahu Akbar!” before detonating the device.
One source said:
“Efforts were made to save him, but he is dead. The situation is now under control … The attacker was shot several times, and it appears that he triggered a device.”
Nicolas Van Herrewegen, a railway sorting agent said:
“I went down to the mezzanine level, someone was shouting. Then he cried ‘Allahu Akbar’, and he blew up a trolley.”
Military has neutralized an individual in #Brussels Central Station. Situation is under control. Follow our instructions & @CrisiscenterBE
— PolBru (@zpz_polbru) June 20, 2017
A police spokesman said:
“There was an accident at Central Station. There was an explosion around a person. That person was neutralized by the soldiers that were on the scene.”
“At the moment, the police are in numbers at the station and everything is under control.”
Here is a video of police at the scene:
Scene outside Brussels railway station, many police and military [vid:@OlileBussy] pic.twitter.com/Dz3mzBPYvb
— Roeland Roovers (@r0eland) June 20, 2017
A photo shared by a witness shows flames inside the station:
Twee luide ontploffingen in Brussel Cebtraal. Voor mijn neus. Dan snelle knallen na elkaar. pic.twitter.com/FDqVAjgGYg
— Rémy Bonnaffé (@remybonnaffe) June 20, 2017
Arnaud Reyman, spokesman for rail network operator Infrabel confirmed the station was evacuated said:
“There was panic in the station and on the tracks after an incident.”
Frédéric Cauderlier, spokesperson for the Belgian Prime Minister told reporters:
“Prime Minister Charles Michel and Interior Minister Jan Jambon are following the situation very closely from the crisis center.”
The suspect was described as wearing a white shirt with wires showing from underneath. Here are some more pictures from the scene:
DEVELOPING – Brussels Train Station Evacuated After Possible Suicide Attack – https://t.co/6R52JpW0mI #OANN #Brussels pic.twitter.com/YbdJcsBCD3
— One America News (@OANN) June 20, 2017
Possible #terrorist attack in #Brussels Army have shot a suspected bomber at Brussels Central Station, man reported dead. pic.twitter.com/vWYdjoLswt
— GeoPolDaily (@GeoPolDaily) June 20, 2017
#Brussels target of failed terrorist attack with a #bomb. No casualties. Suspect detained. #GrandPlace & BRX Central Station shutdown.?? pic.twitter.com/kaehK3XKCF
— Alexandre Krauss (@AlexandreKrausz) June 20, 2017
https://twitter.com/RomanPable/status/877243181863235584
Featured image via Twitter.
