The police near the metro station in Brussels, where the explosion occurred
Belgian authorities after the explosions thundered urged residents not to go out. Public transport does not work, close schools and universities. RBC spoke to those who live or appeared today in Brussels
Arkady Suholutsky is a freelance journalist in Belgium
I’m sitting in the office, who is on the road on the way from the airport. Even before being told that there have been terrorist attacks, we were heard ambulance sirens of cars, and it became clear that something was wrong. Not far from the Brussels airport is the headquarters of NATO. The second attack was on “Maelbek” metro station, and the next stop – “noise”: there are all the EU institutions. Now Metro is closed, call the parents of the schools with a request to take the children home. People today prefer not to use public transport. terrorist threat level is raised from the third to the fourth
It struck me that up to now in the departure and arrival hall of Brussels International Airport could go without any checks:. no framework, no scanner. A few months ago, after the terrorist attacks in Paris, when it became clear that the group coordinators are there, the army entered the city streets and patrolled them. But the scope of the airport, for example, has not appeared.
Hope Baykova, teacher of Russian language
I did not go today home to the station “Schuman” (following the one where the explosion). There is always safe in the neighborhood: next to the building of the European Commission and the sea is always the military. But today, it turned out that it is safer, it seems, in Molenbeek (Brussels suburb, which the Interior Minister of Belgium Jan Zhambon called “the political capital of Islam in continental Europe”). In the city announced the fourth level of the threat, it is recommended to stay at home. We all have experienced after the terrorist attacks in Paris – while shops, schools and universities were closed, work was canceled, transportation is not working. But then it was only a threat, but now it’s really going on. While study and work do not cancel, but, apparently, the information is only the beginning of the reach of people. It is very difficult to get through to someone, the lines are overloaded, it is difficult to break even through Skype.
Ivan Volodin, diplomat
At this point, there were two terrorist attacks. One at the airport (a double explosion), the second – in the subway, on the train at the station “Maelbek”. Reports of the shootout at the Sablon square and the explosions at the other stations are not confirmed. Stations of “noise”, “Maelbek” and “Ar-Loi” are on the same line, a five minute walk from one another. Therefore, when there was an explosion on the “Maelbeke” neighboring stations immediately evacuated and closed. Eyewitnesses at the “Schumann” and “Ar-Loi” decided that the explosions occurred at these stations themselves.
Brussels Airport will be closed until at least 6 am tomorrow. Collapse air travel did not happen, because the vast majority of flights – Message from the nearest Europe – and they just canceled. 15-20 aircraft landed in the neighboring airports (Antwerp, Charleroi, Liège, Amsterdam). Brussels stopped all public transport, including railway trains. Evacuate important public buildings. Blocked traffic on some main streets. It is not clear how people, including thousands of European officials, will be in the evening to get home. Closed subway station in Charleroi and Antwerp. Intercity buses do not go to Brussels.
I myself am a kilometer from the “Maelbek” station, and the view from the office window the most ordinary. At the next street traffic jams there.
Anastasia Tsibulyak, student
At the time of the explosion, I was at home. On TV announced a fourth degree of the threat – the highest. Everyone is recommended to stay at home, public events canceled, blocked the road to the airport, all the metro stations in Brussels are closed, and closed shops. I did not go to university students currently being evacuated from the libraries, and students from the schools. At my university currently discussing the decision to cancel classes: the news said that lessons must be canceled, but the university itself has not yet taken solutions. Outside the window, heard a continuous sound of sirens ambulance, police and fire.
Maria Weaver, lives in one and a half hours away from Brussels Airport (Zutendal g)
Discover all the news, all in a panic, all watching television. The news says that Brussels is partially closed, blocked the road. News about the attack on all channels, opened a hot line, it is impossible to call anyone, because all the lines are busy. On television, asked all to refrain from trips to Brussels.
Alexei Kozlov, the editor of the portal Article20.org (arrived in Brussels for a conference that was canceled due to the terrorist attacks)
Now I am in a hotel near the Trone metro station, it is a few blocks from the subway station, where the explosion occurred. On the terrorist attack at the airport I heard on television: at breakfast in broadcast news, and it was live broadcast from the airport. Authorities appealed to the citizens to not leave the house, do not go out without having halted the work of all public transport, but personal vehicles moving around with his usual intensity for Brussels. The only difference – is constantly careening ambulance and police sirens, helicopters flying over the city
Now it is difficult to leave the city in the media reported that the closed North Station, supported the railway and bus communication.. Car – the only means of transportation for the city
Julia, a student at the Free University of Brussels
Classes canceled after the terrorist attacks.. Traffic stopped, and I can not get home. University administration has asked students not to call capabilities, and write SMS -. overloaded telephone network
Christina Nestoyanova, lives and works in Brussels
On the TV show terrible footage from the airport. The authorities have already called on March 22 the blackest day for Belgium after the end of The World War II. The city is actually paralyzed, blocked completely: the borders are closed, traffic does not go, in particular – the train stopped until further notice, and closed the airport at least until morning. From the local schools were asked to pick up the kids. Authorities asked residents to stay at home, not to go out and not to use mobile phones.
Matthew David, director of Total Marketing in Brussels
During the explosion, I was at a meeting in the country and now I can not get to Brussels, the city canceled the entire message, not trains. On television talk about the evacuation of the airport are advised not to go out. All the while trying to figure out whether their friends and family order.
Julie de Meyer, manager Wooclap
Introduced the fourth level of hazard, the highest possible . In my office, no one works, all crowded around the TV. The authorities said that as soon as it is possible, all employees razvezut home. In the center is forbidden even to walk on the streets, all the empty circle only commandos.
Eugene, employee representative of the Russian media in Brussels
The working day is over officially everywhere , the streets continuously drive ambulances and police. The speaker asked the people not to leave their homes. Very bad working relationship. On all TV channels – online broadcast of events, have made Prime Minister, made a statement the king and queen, a federal prosecutor called the incident “a cowardly attack.” no one in the streets, only a taxi, which goes round the people to their homes free of charge.
Julia, lives and works in Brussels
At the time of the first explosion, I drove airport. I can not say that responded, did not hear the explosions. But within 3 minutes I drove by the building of NATO, which promptly began to beleaguer and stop motion. Now I am in the office, it is one kilometer from the NATO building. The movement is blocked. I can not say that people are in a panic, but the streets are empty. All morning we hear police and ambulance. Police covers the movement of buses, it forces people to quickly get out and go on the road. Trams, buses go empty in the park. Authorities advised not to drive through NATO and not to go into the city center.
I have heard that call to work from holidays of all doctors and police. To be honest, it’s a shock. For Belgium this situation is abnormal. In fact, when compared with the measures that we have seen after the terrorist attacks in Moscow, the atmosphere was more relaxed. I think the people of Brussels simply do not understand what is happening. When the terrorist attacks occurred Paris, Belgium raised the threat level to the third. But we have not noticed that it became more police or control. Now, it seems, people do not really understand how to react. We do not have mobile phone to call your loved ones, I can not all morning. Internet works, sitting on iMessage. Colleagues call at work and asked to pick up the kids, or say that the school is closed and the children were not released.
Alain Salnikov, an employee of the law firm in Brussels
All traffic closed system: the subway, buses and trams. We are now at the office, next to the metro station, not far from where exactly was the second explosion. Explosions heard only the sound of sirens and helicopters. The overlap of the streets near the metro. Authorities say that is safer to stay in the office, and advised not to interfere with official vehicles, using personal cars. Taxis are aimed at helping to transport the wounded. All the schools are closed, children stay inside, it is recommended not to take children to the normalization of the situation. With mobile communication problems – call can be, but with interruptions, but WhatsApp works
Daria Shcherbak, co-owner of a dance studio in Brussels
I’m at home, do not. I can say exactly what is closed and what works, but I know that IKEA stores were closed. In the area of European Quarter right now all cordoned off, the government asks him not to leave the office and at home, and yet to remain on the ground. A friend of the center said that bars and restaurants are open, too, bakery, shops also still open, but gradually begin to close. All public transport is canceled, do not operate the underground, buses and trams. Judging by the very active automobile movement (at this hour is usually no such traffic), many people go home.
Friends who work close to the European quarter, too, heard the explosions, only saw the smoke from the underground station. Across the city is now heard the sirens of police cars.
I am a student, it is not necessary any recommendation of the university (usually send SMS), but at the moment the network overloaded, and the government asks you not to use mobile phones and communicate via the Internet. Many of my friends who live in the center, write things like this: “If you want to drink tea, a hug, or you need a place to stay, my house is at your disposal,” that is offered to stay with them until the work trucks – many ready to help.
Anna Village, logistics specialist in the international car company
at the time of the first explosion, I went to work, the incident learned only from colleagues, when it came into office. Those who came before, said that the roar could be heard even inside the office (it is located in the municipality of Zaventem, it is not far from the airport). I heard that the subway was closed after the explosions. As such, the ban on movement in the city was not, but now the public transport does not work. Home from work colleagues go by car or on foot. All in shock, but already resigned. We have already passed is in November (after the terrorist attacks in Paris -. RBC’s ). Then closed the metro and trams, which have underground stations, buses worked, but with huge intervals.
Tatiana Anischenko, lives in Brussels
I had Tuesday to fly on a business trip, the flight was at 10:20 local time. Around 8:20, I drove up to the airport by taxi. At the entrance there was a huge traffic jam, then began to appear the police cars, fire and ambulance. At first it was not clear what was happening. Police blocked the entrance to the airport. Soon on the radio about what had happened, I went to the office. Communication is very poor – difficult to reach, and the message does not always go right the first time, as networks are overloaded. The authorities advised citizens to avoid public places.
Catherine Voloshchuk, a resident of Brussels
We are in the neighboring area to the city center. Outside, sirens wailing, because close contact is a hospital. Beside him land helicopters with wounded. The fact that all the hospitals in the center, and now here a large concentration of vehicles, people take their children out of school, trying to go somewhere. My friend works at the hospital and says he brought a lot of wounded with shrapnel wounds.
It was difficult to pick up the kids from school, it was impossible to get through to the secretariat. But in the end we called and we were told: “Come, take away the children, if you want, as long as there was no order from the Ministry of Security.” Our children took friends, they now have, because we could not before school to get there: Metro closed, public transport does not go, everything is blocked, so I can not go by car
In general, the solidarity felt.. In Facebook is written, in which area they are in the car, asking whether or not to pick up the kids from school, give their telephone numbers. The exact number of personal injuries not say, but the atmosphere is depressing. All the street talking on a phone, even the drivers behind the wheel travel and talking on a cell, although there is prohibited.
Dario Kashero in Brussels visiting his girlfriend
in Brussels, I live in a building 50 meters from the metro station “Maelbek”. At 11 o’clock I had a plane to Italy. When I tried to get out of the door, the policeman, pointing a weapon, he ordered me to come back. He just said, “Go back.” No more explanations. The whole area is cordoned off, roads are blocked, probably in order not to hinder the movement of special vehicles. Our building is not searched, no one came.
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