Attacks in Brussels, Belgium

[ven]

Chilling! new attacks in my country. Two large explosions(probably suicide attacks) at airport and three metro stations. Multiple injured and dead 

For more up to date info 

https://www.reddit.com/live/wmk50bsm9vt3

 

[Flossie]

Brussels airport and Metro bombed.  13 known dead at this time.  Three additional unexploded bombs have been found.

About two hours ago, the Zaventem Airport in Brussels experienced two explosions.  The first was a bomb that is thought to have been placed next to the Americal Airlines departure desk.  It's possible that that explosion was actually the work of a suicide bomber.  Soon after that, a second bomb exploded just inside the departures area.

Another explosion was detonated at a Metro station in central Brussels, causing the entire Metro system to shut down.

All air traffic to Brussels have been diverted, the airport has been evacuated, at least 30 people have been taken to local hospitals for injuries.

The explosions are thought to be in retaliation for the arrest four days ago of Salah Abdeslam, wanted in regards to the Paris attacks of last November.

This is an evolving situation, and much remains unknown at this time.

[Sundaymorning]

It is horrible. I have family members who live in Brussels, I hope they are ok.

Here is the number of the hotline you can call if you have family or friends at the airport: (0032) (0)2/753 73 00

[ALM7]

Thank you @Flossie for sharing the info, watching the news now.  Unbelievable, there are no words... 

[ALM7]

34 minutes ago, Sundaymorning said:

It is horrible. I have family members who live in Brussels, I hope they are ok.

Here is the number of the hotline you can call if you have family or friends at the airport: (0032) (0)2/753 73 00

My thoughts and concerns are with your family, I trust they are safe . 

[Flossie]

Watching the live updates now.  A few minutes ago Brussels started losing it's cell service.  Unkown if the police caused it to prevent terrorists from communicating with each other or if something else caused it.

All public transportation has been shut down, and police want everyone to stay home or shelter in place.

The executive arm of the European Union has ordered all employees to stay home and all meetings at EU institutions have been cancelled.

Speculation is that these attacks have been planned for some time, but the arrest of Salah Abdeslam accelerated the timetable.  There have been reports that Abdeslam has been talking and naming names.

[caszandra]

This was tweeted earlier about the cell service.

CrisisCenter Belgium

CrisiscenterBE

Don't call. Use texting or social media. Network is getting saturated #Brussels

9:21 a.m. - 22 March 2016

 

[Palimpsest]

Not again.

My thoughts are with everyone affected by this.  I hope friends and family stay safe.

[CoveredInBees]

Just awful.

I hope everyone caught up in this can get to safety.  

[caszandra]

All my thoughts to everyone caught up in these horrific attacks, to @ven and @Sundaymorning I hope all your family members are safe and well, will keep you in my thoughts and prayers today.

[Iamhispurity]

Just horrible. It is the third terror attack in Europe in about a year. For me, as a European, it is frightening. It is all over the news here.

My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.

[sparkles]

The reality is that there's no way to stop this. It's our new normal. My daughter lives in New York, my nephew lives in Berlin and I can't help but worry about them every day. But no matter where you live, no matter what you do, the threat is always there. My hopes for a peaceful future grow dimmer every day. 

As empty as it sounds, my thoughts and wishes for safety go out to everyone.

[Clementine]

11 minutes ago, sparkles said:

The reality is that there's no way to stop this. It's our new normal. My daughter lives in New York, my nephew lives in Berlin and I can't help but worry about them every day. But no matter where you live, no matter what you do, the threat is always there. My hopes for a peaceful future grow dimmer every day. 

As empty as it sounds, my thoughts and wishes for safety go out to everyone.

I feel exactly the same. There have been so many terrorist attacks in Europe the last years, we might as well get used to that this is what European everyday life looks like now.

I hope that the FJs of Belgium and their family members are safe.

[foreign fundie]

Before Trump responds, lets quote the one he claims to follow.

Luke 6

27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

......

Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High,because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Some military respons will surely follow and in this sick world it has to. But bombs don't change heart. Undeserved love and mercy can. I hope in the middle of the necessary quest for justice and hunt for the terrorists Christians will find courage to love their enemies and extend mercy. It is almost Good Friday. When we remember the words of Jesus "Father forgive them, they don't know what they are doing'. 

[Flossie]

Death toll has risen to 28 - 13 killed at airport and 15 at the Metro station.  The threat level has been raised to its highest level.

Americans in Belgium advised to shelter in place, American Embassy on high alert.

France has closed the border between them and Belgium.  The Eiffel Tower will be lit with the colors of the Belgian flag to show solidarity with the people of Belgium.

Security has been tightened at airports in France, Germany, the Netherlands and Britain.

Belga news agency reporting that Belgium security forces have tightened security at nuclear plants across the country.  "Surveillance is stepped up with added security measures at nuclear plants.  Vehicles are being checked with police and army on site." 

[Anny Nym]

26 minutes ago, Clementine said:

I feel exactly the same. There have been so many terrorist attacks in Europe the last years, we might as well get used to that this is what European everyday life looks like now.

I hope that the FJs of Belgium and their family members are safe.

 

Getting used to it means yielding!  We shouldn´t.

 

Hope all your family and friends are safe, @sundaymorning and @ven.

 

[Arete]

My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected.

[JillyO]

I'll just send good thoughts and wishes to everyone affected my these attacks, and say that I kind of don't want to live on this planet anymore, before the Islamophobia starts.

Hope everyone and their families are safe!

[sawasdee]

Not again.

My thoughts are with all of those FJers with family and friends in Brussels, and my hopes are for their safety.

I agree with @Anny Nym. We shouldn't get used to it.

We should get used to being more security conscious and more aware.

But we should not let it control how we live our lives.

[Fascinated]

I hope our FJers' families and friends are safe, too.

My son just received a message back from one of his best friends. He works above the subway station but was 15 minutes late. He counts himself as extremely lucky, although he is very shaken and upset, naturally.  Would that everyone else had been as fortunate.  What a world.

[canbritam]

so many thoughts and prayers with the victims and their families. My heart breaks.

[laPapessaGiovanna]

My thoughts are with the victims families and with the wounded and the survivors. 

I'd just wish that irresponsible media and politicians wouldn't use the victims to escalate the tones and spew some more hate  unfortunately they are already doing just that. 

We aren't working to bring peace and find solutions in Afghanistan nor in the ME nor in Northern Africa, nor in the whole of Africa. And this is already biting us in the back.

[sawasdee]

I really think the 24 hour news cycle that we have today leads to almost an overexposure of such news. I am not suggesting it should be underplayed, or its tragedy underestimated, but I do feel that the need for the talking heads to keep talking can lead not just  to too much speculation, but also to what I can only describe as fearmongering. I am feeling that now watching the coverage, and that is on Al Jazeera, one of the more sober reporters.

[SpoonfulOSugar]

It's very hard to like posts in such a terrible situation, even those with good news or good points.

Media is already speculating that this is in response to the arrest of the Paris bomber.

And, per normal, lots of inaccurate information out there.

And that's what I dislike the most.  We're so desperate for news that we bite on the least little tidbit, even if it is in error.

I'll be thinking of the citizens of Brussels and all who love them today.

[MarblesMom]

Hoping our FJ friends are safe.   Praying for everyone involved.... all I can think is "not again"