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BRUSSELS, HOME OF the European Union and NATO, was hit today by bomb attacks at the airport and in the metro that killed 34 people.
Authorities say some of those responsible for the carnage might still be at large and have asked media not to report on details of the ongoing investigation. The blasts occurred four days after the arrest of Salah Abdeslam, the prime suspect in the Paris terror attacks claimed by the Islamic State group.
Here is a timeline of what happened earlier today:
- Around 7.00am (8.00am local time): Two blasts hit Zaventem international airport outside Brussels. Witnesses cited by the Belga news agency say they first heard shots in the departure hall before someone shouted in Arabic and then two explosions occurred.
- Shortly before 8.00am: Federal police say at least one person is dead and several others wounded.
The airport is closed and a crisis cell meets at the interior ministry.
- Shortly after 8.00am: A third explosion rocks the Maalbeek metro station near the EU headquarters. Around a dozen injuries are reported at first.
- 8.15am: Belgium moves to its highest level of terror alert.
- Shortly before 9.00am: The European Commission tells staff to stay home or in their offices.
- Shortly after 9.00am: The federal prosecutor’s office issues a casualty toll of at least 13 dead and 35 wounded at the airport.
- Shortly before 9.30am: The crisis centre asks inhabitants to stay put, and all public transport systems grind to a halt.
Security is reinforced in airports, train stations and public transport systems in Paris, while airports in Frankfurt, London, Moscow and the Netherlands beef up their measures too. The border between Belgium and the Netherlands is reinforced.
- Shortly before 10.00am: Fire services say at least 21 people have died, including 11 at the airport.
High-speed Thalys trains between Belgium, France and the Netherlands stop running.
- 10.15am: European Council President Donald Tusk condemns the “terrorist attacks”.
- Shortly before 10.30am: Police and soldiers reinforce security around Belgium’s nuclear power plants.
- 10.43am: Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel condemns the “blind, violent and cowardly” attacks.
- 10.46am: Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo says the Eiffel Tower will be lit in Belgium’s national colours and calls for a silent vigil in the evening in Paris.
- Shortly before 11.00am: Federal prosecutor Frederic Van Leeuw says one airport blast was “probably caused by a suicide bomber”.
- 11.00am: “The whole of Europe has been hit,” says French President Francois Hollande.
- 11.15am: Brussels transport operator STIB says the metro blast killed at least 15 people and wounded at least 55, including 30 seriously.
Eurostar train service between London and Brussels is suspended.
- 12.30pm: “We will never let these terrorists win,” says British Prime Minister David Cameron.
- 12.35pm: The investigation is ongoing and authorities “fear that people are still at large”, says Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders.
- 1.36pm: Local mayor Yvan Mayeur says “there are around 20 dead with another 106 wounded, 17 of them gravely” at the metro station.
- 1.57pm: A fire service spokesman says the airport attack killed 14 people and left more than 90 wounded, and warns the toll could change.
- 3.20pm: Islamic State claims responsibility for the attacks.
- 3.45pm: Belgian authorities publish surveillance camera images of three suspects in the attack on Brussels airport.
The number of known casualties stands at around 34 dead and more than 200 wounded.
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Dundalk will soon be one giant call centre.
Weeeellll hey that’s claaass
WITH PLENTY OF WORKERS CROSSING THE BOARDER TO WORK IN THESE CALL CENTRES… as usual…
must be the Dundalk accent
Great to see ‘Good News’ making headlines again, hopefully the recession tide is turning for the man on the ground!
sales sense-customer engagement sounds like cold callers. these jobs would be as dependable as a wet toilet roll
Jobs jobs jobs!!!
Good to see a jobs with a proper weeks wage for a proper weeks work.150 jobs over 3 years.Nearly one a week over 3 years.Well done Enda and Co,doing a great job.
The tide is turning folks.Ireland is great again…..
Hooray….!!
- (only 799,860 more jobs & we’re flying.)
It’s a start. Good news is good.
Any new jobs announcements are good news….enough of the doom and gloom…
More call center jobs woopidy do Enda!!!!!!!!
Some people would love a job in a call centre.
Office work, that doesn’t require a high skill set or qualifications is very important in the labour market.
Not everyone can have a masters.
That may be true but try going for an interview without a college on your C.V.
Yea yea yea get a nice IDA grant to open here pay some wages for a couple of years then they’ll feck off to India or pakistan when the grant runs out….
A job for a few years for somebody on the rock & roll is better than no job at all.
Good news yes, but how come it’s always “over the next three years”, does that mean they wont be announced next year again to bump the figures up, or that jobs will be down next year as they’ve already taken. The spin in this type of announcement is appauling as it gets so many hopes up just to be kicked down again, and whoo hoo for minimum wage again….. but its good for the jobs that are here and now though (the actual real ones) when we need them most and good luck for the applicants
I’d be extremely hesitant to describe Lifes2Good as a “healthcare company”.
“Snake Oil Salesman” might be more appropriate!
Salessence…..where have i heard of them before ;)
Anyone over 30 and didn’t go to university or college need not apply, same o same o from this government. When will the real work as in manufacturing come here? Manufacturing here creates exports that causes the government to reduce borrowing because money is coming into the country???
thanks enda :)
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