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| Brussels bombings: witnesses describe 'apocalyptic' scenes | Brussels bombings: witnesses describe 'apocalyptic' scenes |
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| Witnesses have described the scenes at Zaventem airport and Maelbeek metro station in Brussels, where a series of explosions have killed at least 34 people and wounded many more. | Witnesses have described the scenes at Zaventem airport and Maelbeek metro station in Brussels, where a series of explosions have killed at least 34 people and wounded many more. |
| Related: Brussels explosions: multiple casualties after airport and metro attacks – live | Related: Brussels explosions: multiple casualties after airport and metro attacks – live |
| Thomas Bignal, a Londoner who has been living in Brussels for five years, working about 400 metres away from Maelbeek, contacted the Guardian after escaping from the metro train that was coming into the station following the blast. He said: | |
| When I arrived at Arts-Loi, there were already several soldiers, probably due to the explosion at Zaventem. I jumped onto the metro towards Maelbeek/Schuman at the very front. A few seconds after the metro left, there was a big bang, the driver accelerated and then stopped. We were in between Arts-Loi and Maelbeek. For those who could hear, there was little doubt about what happened. | When I arrived at Arts-Loi, there were already several soldiers, probably due to the explosion at Zaventem. I jumped onto the metro towards Maelbeek/Schuman at the very front. A few seconds after the metro left, there was a big bang, the driver accelerated and then stopped. We were in between Arts-Loi and Maelbeek. For those who could hear, there was little doubt about what happened. |
| People stayed reasonably calm but there were a few very scared people, calling family and friends. After a minute or two, there was lots of smoke and a plasticky smell and it became increasingly warm and difficult to breathe. The STIB driver came out after a minute and told everyone to wait, that there was a bomb and that we would go out through the back of the train. | People stayed reasonably calm but there were a few very scared people, calling family and friends. After a minute or two, there was lots of smoke and a plasticky smell and it became increasingly warm and difficult to breathe. The STIB driver came out after a minute and told everyone to wait, that there was a bomb and that we would go out through the back of the train. |
| It then took maybe about 15 minutes for everyone to get out. We then walked back through the tracks to Arts-Loi. Two policeman came to help a man with a walking stick and the STIB driver was really excellent. | It then took maybe about 15 minutes for everyone to get out. We then walked back through the tracks to Arts-Loi. Two policeman came to help a man with a walking stick and the STIB driver was really excellent. |
| On the surface, there was not any support, everyone just went their own way. The police had blocked the roads – they also told us they didn’t know much more than us, and it was all a bit surreal. | On the surface, there was not any support, everyone just went their own way. The police had blocked the roads – they also told us they didn’t know much more than us, and it was all a bit surreal. |
| A lobbyist who was stuck at the station told Politico: | A lobbyist who was stuck at the station told Politico: |
| I was on the metro train pulling in to the station when there was a massive explosion. Lights went out, smoke everywhere, sounds of multiple explosions, everyone dropped to the floor. Thankfully I managed to escape by prying the car door open with some other passengers and running for the exit. | I was on the metro train pulling in to the station when there was a massive explosion. Lights went out, smoke everywhere, sounds of multiple explosions, everyone dropped to the floor. Thankfully I managed to escape by prying the car door open with some other passengers and running for the exit. |
| This was by far the most frightening thing that’s ever happened to me. We didn’t know if the noises were gunshots or bombs, but it seemed to make sense to get out of there as fast as possible. | This was by far the most frightening thing that’s ever happened to me. We didn’t know if the noises were gunshots or bombs, but it seemed to make sense to get out of there as fast as possible. |
| At the airport, passenger Ilaria Ruggiano told the New York Times that she and seven others were going to check in at about 7.30am when they heard a big noise and saw a big flash. “My mother went to the floor – she was hit. I just dropped my luggage and went to the floor. A kid came out, bleeding a lot. I tried to help him with a tissue, but it was not enough. There were two bombs.” | At the airport, passenger Ilaria Ruggiano told the New York Times that she and seven others were going to check in at about 7.30am when they heard a big noise and saw a big flash. “My mother went to the floor – she was hit. I just dropped my luggage and went to the floor. A kid came out, bleeding a lot. I tried to help him with a tissue, but it was not enough. There were two bombs.” |
| Belinda How was in the Etihad Airways check-in queue when she heard the blast. She said: “I was the last passenger queuing up. I was very close to the first blast. Everybody was screaming. I said to my son – he is a Down’s syndrome special-needs child : ‘You have to run.’ He said: ‘My leg hurts.’ I think he was panicked. I left my luggage, dragged him and ran. Before I ran out, there was another bomb.” | |
| Yassine Amrani, 39, told Politico: | Yassine Amrani, 39, told Politico: |
| Everywhere there were bodies with no heads. There was a woman screaming while she was holding her baby and she screamed: ‘Where is my baby?’ I told her she was holding her child but she said she had one other that she couldn’t find. | |
| Kallouchi Mohammed, 28, who works at cafe inside the airport, said: | Kallouchi Mohammed, 28, who works at cafe inside the airport, said: |
| I saw blood everywhere. There was a man whose chest was completely open – he had no more legs. Next to him was a second man whose body was shaking. Glass everywhere. | I saw blood everywhere. There was a man whose chest was completely open – he had no more legs. Next to him was a second man whose body was shaking. Glass everywhere. |
| Samir Derrouich, who works at a restaurant in the airport, told the Daily Mail: “It was awful. There was just blood. It was like the apocalypse.” | Samir Derrouich, who works at a restaurant in the airport, told the Daily Mail: “It was awful. There was just blood. It was like the apocalypse.” |
| Dries Valaert, 30, who was queuing at a check-in desk, said: | Dries Valaert, 30, who was queuing at a check-in desk, said: |
| There was a first blast and then 10 seconds later a second explosion. It was a big, big blast, the ceiling went down. It was just 30 metres from where I was. I saw people down on the ground and I just went running. | |
| I jumped over the security fences towards the departure gates as I thought it would be safer. My first intuition was to get out in case there were attackers with guns. | I jumped over the security fences towards the departure gates as I thought it would be safer. My first intuition was to get out in case there were attackers with guns. |
| I saw a woman around 18 years old with a hole in her hand with blood pouring out and a man with an injured ankle, and two people down. There was lots of panic. People were running all over the place. | I saw a woman around 18 years old with a hole in her hand with blood pouring out and a man with an injured ankle, and two people down. There was lots of panic. People were running all over the place. |
| I saw two people dead. I looked around as I ran away and saw them lying there. | I saw two people dead. I looked around as I ran away and saw them lying there. |
| Alphonse Youla, who was working on a stand, said: | Alphonse Youla, who was working on a stand, said: |
| I heard a man shout some Arabic words, then an explosion ... then a second explosion, a massive explosion, much bigger. It was a horror. I saw at least seven people dead. There was blood. People had lost legs. You could see their bodies but no legs. | I heard a man shout some Arabic words, then an explosion ... then a second explosion, a massive explosion, much bigger. It was a horror. I saw at least seven people dead. There was blood. People had lost legs. You could see their bodies but no legs. |
| I saw two men face down with blood pouring out of their heads. The injuries were so awful. You cannot imagine. People were so injured. I did not see the man who shouted in Arabic as he was behind me. I just heard the words. I don’t speak Arabic so I don’t know what he said. | I saw two men face down with blood pouring out of their heads. The injuries were so awful. You cannot imagine. People were so injured. I did not see the man who shouted in Arabic as he was behind me. I just heard the words. I don’t speak Arabic so I don’t know what he said. |
| Zach Mouzoun, who arrived on a flight from Geneva about 10 minutes before the first explosion, told BFM television: “It was atrocious. The ceilings collapsed. There was blood everywhere, injured people, bags everywhere. We were walking in the debris. It was a war scene.” | Zach Mouzoun, who arrived on a flight from Geneva about 10 minutes before the first explosion, told BFM television: “It was atrocious. The ceilings collapsed. There was blood everywhere, injured people, bags everywhere. We were walking in the debris. It was a war scene.” |
| Rob Verreykken told RT that it was “total mayhem”. He added: | Rob Verreykken told RT that it was “total mayhem”. He added: |
| I was around 100 metres from the entrance of the airport when I heard a large blast and saw this screen of dust coming out. It was immediately clear for everyone that it was an attack. People started screaming and running away. We then went into hiding around the corner and waited for some time. Then people started coming out. They were really in shock, all covered in blood. | I was around 100 metres from the entrance of the airport when I heard a large blast and saw this screen of dust coming out. It was immediately clear for everyone that it was an attack. People started screaming and running away. We then went into hiding around the corner and waited for some time. Then people started coming out. They were really in shock, all covered in blood. |
| I talked to one person who said: ‘I saw people lying down on the floor without legs, without other parts of their bodies. This was terrible, I will never forget it.’ I talked to a man who came from Africa, and was taking a flight to Kinshasa. He said: ‘I was in a hall and saw people literally being blast away around me, I only survived because I was behind a small brick wall’. | |
| Tom, who is doing an internship at the airport, told the BBC: | Tom, who is doing an internship at the airport, told the BBC: |
| We were going to our desks, to the gate, and we looked to our left side and it looked like 15 metres from us was a big explosion. First we thought it was a billboard falling down or something. My colleague was looking and was wondering what is it, and I said run, run. We ran away, we were running very quickly. | We were going to our desks, to the gate, and we looked to our left side and it looked like 15 metres from us was a big explosion. First we thought it was a billboard falling down or something. My colleague was looking and was wondering what is it, and I said run, run. We ran away, we were running very quickly. |
| My colleague jumped into the carousel behind the check-in desk. I lost him because I did not know where he was. | My colleague jumped into the carousel behind the check-in desk. I lost him because I did not know where he was. |
| Then it was like a big explosion, a second one. | Then it was like a big explosion, a second one. |
| I thought I was hurt or I was hit. Then two people who were working at the airport told me to come inside and locked the door. | I thought I was hurt or I was hit. Then two people who were working at the airport told me to come inside and locked the door. |
| And behind the little gap I saw a solider pulling away a body. I hope he was not dead and just hit ... I am feeling overwhelmed. | And behind the little gap I saw a solider pulling away a body. I hope he was not dead and just hit ... I am feeling overwhelmed. |
| Local taxi driver Philippe told Belgium website DH.be that he walked into the terminal and faced a “pond of blood” and “dismembered bodies”. | Local taxi driver Philippe told Belgium website DH.be that he walked into the terminal and faced a “pond of blood” and “dismembered bodies”. |
| Sky News Middle East correspondent Alex Rossi, who was also at the airport, said: “I could feel the building move. There was also dust and smoke as well ... I went towards where the explosion came from and there were people coming out looking very dazed and shocked.” | Sky News Middle East correspondent Alex Rossi, who was also at the airport, said: “I could feel the building move. There was also dust and smoke as well ... I went towards where the explosion came from and there were people coming out looking very dazed and shocked.” |
| Denise Brandt, an American woman interviewed by Sky News, added: “I felt the explosion, the way it feels through your body, and we just looked at each other and I said: ‘Let’s go this way.’ There was just this instinct to get away from it. Then we saw people running, crying, toward us. So I knew we were going in the right direction and away from it.” | Denise Brandt, an American woman interviewed by Sky News, added: “I felt the explosion, the way it feels through your body, and we just looked at each other and I said: ‘Let’s go this way.’ There was just this instinct to get away from it. Then we saw people running, crying, toward us. So I knew we were going in the right direction and away from it.” |