Explosions at Brussels Airport and Metro

Great news.

We have just been told that Eurostar have suspended their service, I guess DD is trapped.
I had the terror of 7/7 too anno, DD was in London and was at the tube station when they closed them. If his colleague had not delayed them he would have been on the tube.

That should read DH not DD, you can see where my mind is this morning.

For the first time time in 10 years we have have booked our trip to Japan via Brussels. Sure security will be even greater now. It must be sickening for families with loved ones either living or passing through the city. Where next you have to wonder? We lived in the South East during IRA bombings and on more than one occasion had to evacuate Victoria Station very scary but each time it was a false alarm, thank god.

There is a dedicated FB page where people in Brussels can declare themselves safe and well, have just seen DD on there

This is just so sad, my thoughts and prayers are with all affected x

So pleased Harrigran x

Brussels has no transport whatsoever, all trains, trams and buses have been suspended and flights redirected to other airports. This is a bustling city, it will be much quieter today.
felice are you okay ?

Does anyone know Felice in person and could check on Facebook for us? Without giving her identity I mean.

All fine here thank you for the concern, a friend of ours was just interviewed on the BBC he took the photographs of the metro train.
DD was just out and everything is calm but tense
The children are all in school and will be looked after there, it may be difficult for some parents to collect children on time today but luckily there is an after school system already in place.
My SO works next door to the Metro station, he is off work this week luckily.
Praying for the families of the dead and for the injured.

Very relieved for you wot and harri my thoughts are with all others waiting for news.

Thinking of all of you who have people caught up i this. Was anyone else disgusted by the photos shown on the television some of which were so awful they had to have areas blurred so the injuries weren't shown. Thinking what would it be like if it was a family member or a friend you saw?

My son is in Belgium but is safe, thank goodness. He'll be returning home tonight.

I do hope all of you who have family or friends in Bussels get good news. I read about the airport bomb or whatever, but they said there was few casualties.
My brother's long term girlfriend was going to fly out to Spain today, but the flkght has been cancelled, I presume due to what happened.

My thoughts are with all of you who have loved ones caught up in these terrible happenings. I pray that they are all safe.

I have just had another look at the news and see what you all mean.
This morning they said there were only a few who were killed. What a world we live in.

Horrified. I hope everyone has now traced friends and relations that could have been caught up in it.

I'm flying to England on Friday for Easter. I hope no cancellations - I will go whatever because I will not let these vermin disrupt my life and win. Will be on the alert though.

I so remember well waiting until 8pm the evening of 9/11 to hear if my ex and his wife were safe in NY. Massive relief when DFiL called me that they had managed to call and were safely home. Next morning not only relief but a really horrid feeling that 20,000 people were still unaccounted for and their relatives still waiting to here. How lucky were we.

Glad to hear that some of our posters here have had good news about their loved ones. What a worrying time for all.

Just had a Facebook message from my niece who lives in Brussels to say she is safe and her brother who was visiting from America had just flown out of Brussels before the event! Thank goodness

I've just watched the film of the aftermath. Couldn't believe people filming or looking to be texting! Wouldn't you want to get out smartly?

More madness and mayhem.

Thank goodness peoples' families on here are all ok. My first thought was of Felice when I heard the news and so glad she's ok too. I used to live and work in Brussels in my 20s and its one of my favourite cities. How terribly sad it all is.

I can't believe the BBC is showing coverage of people getting off the metro trains with screaming in the background.

The footage of the Metro train was taken by a friend of mine, he also made the calm report on the BBC later in the morning, the screaming was a couple of small children who were scared.
No one was hurt on the train it was just about to enter the station about 100 metres out. Everyone left the train calmly and people assisted others who needed it.
He is a producer working for TV Brussels, and a consummate professional.
He is one of DGS Sunday school teachers.

felice I am very glad your friend is safe. I don't agree with showing footage at this time of day which features screaming or badly injured people, especially as children are on holiday this week for the Easter holidays. After the 9.00 pm watershed is the time to show events in graphic detail. Over the years coverage of tragic events gets more and more graphic. This goes right back to 1987 when broadcasters were criticised over the cover of the Zeebrugge ferry disaster. Despite this criticism, the coverage has become more graphic to the point when viewers are desensitised to what they're seeing. I am aware of the guidelines the BBC operates under, but I think we are still seeing examples of where more consideration should be given as to whether the images tell a story of real significance or are simply being used because the footage was available.

I don't want to hijack this thread though with this discussion, so apologies to those like yourself who have family and friends in the area.