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Updated 10.30pm
SOLDIERS SHOT A suspect in the heart of Brussels after a small explosion at a busy train station this evening.
A bomb squad performed a controlled explosion of a bomb belt the suspect had at the Central Station and was checking to see if there more hazards, VTM network reported.
Authorities set up a wide perimeter around the station, located near the city’s famed Grand Place square.
It appeared no one else was injured besides the suspect and the damage from the explosion was limited, Brussels prosecutor’s office spokeswoman Ine Van Wymersch told VRT. It was not clear if the suspect survived.
Police are treating the incident as a terrorist attack.
“This is considered as a terrorist attack,” federal prosecutor’s office spokesman Eric Van Der Sypt told a news conference outside Brussels Gare Centrale station.
He added: “The suspect has been neutralised by the military that were present at the scene immediately after the explosion. ”
An eyewitness told AFP that a trolley was blown up by the suspect.
“I went down the mezzanine level, someone was shouting. Then he cried ‘Allahu Akbar’, and he blew up a trolley,” Nicolas Van Herrewegen, a railway sorting agent, told reporters.
I was behind a wall when it exploded. I went down and alerted my colleagues to evacuate everyone. He (the suspect) was still around but after that we didn’t see him.
Van Herrewegen added: “It wasn’t exactly a big explosion but the impact was pretty big. People were running away.”
He described the suspect as well-built and tanned with short hair, wearing a white shirt and jeans.
“A crowd panicked in the station and ran for the tracks after an incident,” said Arnaud Reyman, spokesman for Infrabel, the Belgian railway operator.
Broadcaster RTL quoted Fires Services spokesman Pierre Meys confirming that some kind of an explosion had happened in the city’s Central station. Meys could not say what had caused the blast.
He could only confirm that firefighters were at the scene.
The Belgian capital’s Grand Place, a major tourist site, was evacuated along with the station about 200 meters away.
Police said that they were attending the scene at Brussels Central, adding that the situation was “under control” but urged people to follow instructions given in the area.
Belgium has been on high alert since suicide bombers killed 32 people on the Brussels subway and at an airport in March 2016.
There have been incidents involving extremists in Paris and London in recent days, including the attack by a van driver who tried to run down worshippers outside a London mosque.
With reporting from the Associated Press
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Ray D’arcy 2nd from the bottom ? And what was his starting salary with RTE…… 200K?? Hardly money well spent.
Well done Anton Savage on Today FM … ahead of Ray in listenership ….after taking over his seat on a slightly lower,salary I’m sure!
Ray D’arcy is full of his own self importance. I thought we were rid of him when Enda Kenny was elected Taoiseach. That was the only reason I voted for Fine Gael. Ray, like the good politician he is, was just talking rubbish and looking for attention.
He’s part of the RTE elite…Miriam Callaghan etc….if they were that good they should go to UK.
Ah now, leave Miriam out of this. Miriam works her socks off. Not bad to look at either. Fantastic chest.
After all these years I still cannot explain the popularity of Joe Duffy…..
People love a medium to moan, his voice encourages it. Perfect marketing in Ireland.
A bit like the journal
Classic hits 4fm
Boom! You said it Helen
I’m liking Sean Moncrief more and more these days. It’s most still against my will. Perhaps it’s Stockholm syndrome having being captive in the car listening to him so much. Anyway in general I much rather radio. It allows me to do other things whilst being entertained or informed.
there a shower of overpaid morons in RTE how they can justify their wages is crazy that’s why the licence is so high ,you know if they shut down the station most of us would be €160 a year better off and we still would not be at a loss for entertainment
when u have a never ending budget u can hire whoever u like to make ratings .
What the JNLR don’t tell us is how much time we are spending listening to radio….
National Radio is a straight choice between either Communicorp or RTE….either way the listener doesn’t benefit, from Current Affairs programs that is…
We need new media as much as we need a new political infrastructure!!!
JNLR DOES actually tell us how much time we spend listening to radio – around 4 hours a day.
I ONLY listen to Radio Nova – although NOT a National Radio Station – at least I get decent music without the CRAP the Biggie Boyos dish out to an unsuspecting National populace. AND I don’t have to listen to inane DJs pretending to understand politics or some pseudo-nationalistic beliefs …
an insult to the real NOVA 87 FM AND 819 AM!
88
Radio Nova seem to have a playlist of 100 songs on a loop.
“..Radio Nova…playing all over Dublin…. Nowwwwww ….”
Great station, great memories
Chris Carey RIP
BBC RADIO 2 via tunein radio app
They say in the heading that size matters in radio land what do they mean big smile or big tits
i don’t get ray darcy on rte 1 i get the impression that he thinks he just has to turnup
What big eyes you have Miriam. …..lol
Any chance of getting that moron Marty Whelan off Lyric FM? It’s supposed to be a “classical music” station not “Housewives’ Choice”!
Nova with pat Courtney. He’s brilliant!!!
Way to ignore all the regional and local radio stations – in many areas, they easily have 40-66% of the Audience share in the places they broadcast to. But yet none of them merit any praise?
talksport via tunein radio for me.
Where’s Stevo from Sunshine Radio gone ?
Why don’t they contact me when they do theses so called survey s and I will b able to tel them why I don’t listen to RTE radio I prefer independent radio from round d country coz it gives me local stories in Dublin especially radio Kerry from 9am each morning
Absolute Radio
Marty Whelan is pure genius. So happy he’s on Lyric in the morning. There is no competitor to him to my mind. Lyric overall is a great station, John Kelly Ensemble, Jazz, Movies and Musicals, Niall Carroll etc., etc. a great mix. I predict Lyric’s star will continue to rise into the future. Its a bit undiscovered maybe. Marty is introducing people more and more to it.
have your say