WORLD NEWS: BELGIUM - DEADLY BOMB BLASTS KILL AT LEAST 21 IN BRUSSELS AIRPORT AND METRO

At least 21 people have been killed after two explosions ripped through Zaventem Airport in Brussels in an apparent suicide attack - and a third blast hit a city metro station.

Shots were fired and Arabic shouted before the airport bomb blasts, according to Belgian news agency Belga.

Maalbeek metro station was targeted in a separate attack during the morning rush hour.

Firefighters said at least 21 people had been killed and dozens more severely injured in the suspected coordinated attacks.

Brussels fire brigade spokesman Pierre Meys said 11 people died in the twin blasts at Brussels airport, and at least 10 killed at the metro station explosion.

"Most of the wounded have been evacuated. The scene is rather chaotic," he said.

Zach Mouzoun, who arrived at the airport on a flight from Geneva about 10 minutes before the first blast, told France's BFMTV: "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."

Video and images on social media showed smoke rising from an airport building and shattered windows.

Confused and shocked passengers fled the terminal to safety as they were evacuated by armed police.

Footage also showed ceiling tiles littered across the floor and strewn black luggage belts, cases and bags at a check-in desk.

According to reports the suspected terror attack centred on an American Airlines desk in a departure hall at around 8am.

Airport spokeswoman Anke Fransen said: "There were two blasts in the departure hall."

The attacks follow the dramatic arrest of Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam in the Belgian capital on Friday - four months after November's terror in the French capital that left 130 people dead.

A journalist in Brussels who witnessed the blasts had this to say: "I could feel the building move. There was also dust and smoke as well," he said.

"I went towards where the explosion came from and there were people coming out looking very dazed and shocked.

"The thinking here is that it is some kind of terrorist attack although that hasn't been verified by any of the authorities here at the airport.

"Don't know how the explosion took place, the method if you like. But it certainly seems Brussels airport has been targeted in a terrorist attack.

"There is a great deal of confusion here. Certainly there are a number of very upset, as you might imagine, very frightened people."

He added: "There are fears that there might be other attackers."

Eurostar services to and from Brussels have been suspended - and all trains to the airport cancelled which has been closed until further notice.

All public transport  - including the city's metro stations - are also shut with Belgium hiking its terror threat to its highest level following the strikes.

Brussels residents have been urged to "stay where you are", and the European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, has told staff to stay at home.

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