by Clare Duffy |
The West Coast woke up to the news and social media already buzzing about terrorist attacks that occurred early this morning in Brussels, Belgium. Here's what is known so far:
- Two bombs went off around 8 a.m. at the Zaventem airport - the main Brussels airport. About an hour later, another blast hit the Maelbeek subway station in downtown Brussels, not far from many of the European Union institutions.
- Politico Europe is reporting the death toll at 34: 14 killed at the airport and 20 at the subway station, with around 170 injured.
- The terror threat level in Belgium has been raised to a level 4, air and train links to Brussels have been cut off and the metro system has been shut down. However, the New York Times reports that taxis began offering free rides in the hours after the attacks.
- The AP reported that ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
- Belgian authorities have opened an emergency phone number: +32-2-506-711 and people in Belgium have been using the hashtag #ikwilhelpen ("I will help") to offer support or services.
https://twitter.com/Roxane_GH/status/712270478744887296
- Security measures in the D.C. area and in airports across the U.S. have been tightened, according to the New York Times.
Clare Duffy is the news editor for The Beacon. She can be reached at duffy17@up.edu or on Twitter @claresduffy.
