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| Europe |
| No injuries reported in Belgium terrorist attack |
| 2016-08-29 |
| [AP] An explosion has rocked Belgium’s criminology institute in the capital Brussels, but there were no injuries reported, local media said. State broadcaster RTBF reported Monday that a car forced its way into the site “before exploding a bomb” about 2 a.m. (0000 GMT). No source for the information was given. RTBF says no one was injured but that damage at the site is significant. Police have deployed in force and sealed off the area. The institute assists and advises Belgium’s justice authorities in carrying out their inquiries. Belgium has been on high alert since a March 22 attack on the Brussels airport and subway killed 32 people. |
| Posted by:SAT2014 |
| #2 An Nahar adds: Brussels Crime Lab Attacked to 'Destroy Evidence' Attackers rammed a car through the gates of Belgium's national crime laboratory on Monday in Brussels and then started a fire in what officials said may have been an attempt to destroy evidence. Five people were arrested nearby but later released, while prosecutors said there was no confirmed link to terrorism so far. No one was injured in the fire or by a large explosion which shook houses nearby. "This location was not chosen randomly," said Ine Van Wymersch, a spokesman for the Brussels prosecutor's office, adding that the institute deals with "sensitive information in connection with several ongoing cases." Prosecutors had opened a investigation into "deliberate arson of a building and damage by explosion," while bomb disposal experts attended the scene. "The possibility of a terrorist act is not confirmed. It goes without saying that several individuals may have wanted to destroy evidence related to their legal cases," Van Wymersch added. She said that "several attackers forced their way into the institute using their car and were able to attack the building" and had apparently deliberately targeted the wing where the laboratories are located. Part of the building was scorched and burned out, an AFP reporter saw, while a burned out car was lifted from the scene by a crane. Fire service spokesman Pierre Meys said there was an "extremely powerful" explosion, adding: "Windows of the lab were blown out dozens of meters away." He said about 30 firefighters were at the scene at around 3:00am (0100 GMT) fighting the blaze. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2016-08-29 22:00 |
| #1 So if nobody was injured, the driver must have gotten away before the detonation. Unless that there is one of those new-fangled autonomous vehicles that was off its meds. |
| Posted by: Mullah Richard 2016-08-29 11:57 |