World News for Students of English

28-03-2016 07:00

Three explosions in Belgium have been reported: two in Zaventem Airport and a third at a metro station close to the EU buildings in Brussels.

Footage shows people running away from the departures as smoke can clearly be seen rising from the airport building. Some Belgium media have reported that the airport explosions were caused by a suicide attack, and there are reports of gunfire heard at the airport before the blast.

The aftermath of the explosion has been captured and shared online. The Belgium fire service told the local media there were multiple fatalities and casualties and figures are expected to rise. Flights have been cancelled at the airport, which has been evacuated. Images of smoke coming from the Brussels metro station have also been circulating on social media.

The metro system in Brussels has been closed as the city goes into lockdown, and the terror threat in Belgium has been raised to maximum level 4 across the country following the blasts. They come just four days after the capture in Brussels of Salah Abdeslam, the main suspect in the Paris attacks in November.

Difficult words: blast (an explosion), aftermath (the situation after a disaster), fatality (a death), casualty (a death or an injury), figure (a number), circulate (to go around).

Source: www.ondemandnews.com