Europe freezes air, rail links with Brussels

Belgium : Airlines cancelled hundreds of flights and European railways froze links with Brussels Tuesday after a series of bombs blasts killed around 35 people in the city's airport and a metro train, sparking a broad security response.

Belgium locked down the capital, home to the headquarters of the European Union and NATO, and imposed its highest level of security alert after the explosions, which extinguished about 20 lives in the metro and another 14 in the airport, according to authorities in Brussels.

As passengers fled the smoking airport and the city-centre Maalbeek metro station, where a train was blown apart, transport operators shut down the airport, metro system, buses, trams and major railway stations in the capital.

"Our whole network is closed at the moment," the Brussels public transport operator STIB warned people on Twitter, confirming the closure of metro, bus and tram systems. Major railway stations were closed, too, the Brussels public prosecutor said.

Eurostar said all trains to and from Brussels had been halted.

"Our thoughts rest with anyone affected by the unfolding events in Bruokssels," it said in a statement.

The high speed train service Thalys, which links France and Belgium, said all its traffic, too, had been stopped.

The Brussels-Zaventem international airport is closed until 6am (0500 GMT) Wednesday, the airport said.

The airport shutdown forced more than 500 arrivals and departures to be cancelled or diverted, according to the European Aviation Crisis Coordination Cell in Brussels, paralysing air links with cities across Europe and other international airports.

"As a result of the attacks in Brussels, a number of other countries have increased security measures at airports. This could cause additional delays for passengers," the crisis cell said in a statement.