Brussels explosions: Airport blast was a suicide attack: federal prosecutor

Brussels: The deadly explosions at Brussels airport on Tuesday were carried out by a suicide bomber, Belgium's federal prosecutor said, broadcasters VTM and RTBF reported, without giving more details.

Two explosions tore through Brussels airport on Tuesday morning killing 13 people in what Belgian public broadcaster VRT called a suicide attack, and a further blast struck a metro station in the capital shortly afterwards.

All public transport in Brussels was shut down, as it was in London during 2005 militant attacks on the underground that killed 52. The Belgian Crisis Centre, clearly wary of a further incident, appealed to the population: "Stay where you are".

The Belga agency said shots were fired and there were shouts in Arabic shortly before two blasts rang out at the airport. Pictures on social media showed smoke rising from the terminal building through shattered windows and passengers running away down a slipway, some still hauling their bags.