Where these locations are throughout the city. Give us a sense of the geography. Reporter brussels is not large. Certainly a lot more concentrated than the paris attacks in november which from spread out. All relatively close together, the main airport for the city is just ten miles outside. None far away from each other. The importance youre striking one of the highest security area s then at least two metro stayings that have symbolic locations next to the seat of the belgian government and seat of the European Union. These are all not yet confirmed. In case some viewers are tuning in at the bottom. Hour youre looking at some scenes right now, the aftermath of the departure terminal we believe at the Brussels Airport. You can see what impact this blast had, i believe those are like Ceiling Tiles that have come down onto the ground. There are injuries reported there but now the breaking news that were getting right now our Alex Marquardt is there at the airport in brussels but saying that there are local reports saying there may have been an additional three explosions at capital. Three different subway stations is the report that alex was getting from the local broadcaster essentially public broadcaster similar to the bbc of bruls. The significance of that youre saying is one of those is located near the eu. One is in the maalbeek area. The third do you think is near the nato headquarters . Reporter its what you were talking about. What the significance of this city is is that this city is home to these major institutions, the European Union, nato and, of course, all of these embassies relatively brussels and if these explosions did take place at these metro stations they are highly symbolic symbolic. One is next to the belgian government. Another is next to the Main Building housing the European Union and when you add on the explosions we know about at the airport two at 8 00 this morning. This would indicate a coordinated attack so hope to be getting more information from the belgian authorities at the top of the hour. There is a lot of confusion. At least one person killed but reports of more as the authorities have sealed off the airport, flights have stopped going out and coming in and we are on our way by foot to that departure hall right now. You mentioned two explosions happened around 8 a. M. Local time and then subsequently we of three explosions at three other subway stations or three subway stations in the area, give us a sense of whats going on this time of day in brussels. Is this a peek time to be moving and getting to work. A sense of what the city is doing right now. Yeah, this is 9 30 in the morning right now and so and the explosions the first ones at the airport happened at 8 00 so you really cant get more peak than that. This is when people are taking the first flights out of the city during the day. This is when people are using the metro to go to work. This sis the highest traffic that the city will see. Talking about coordinated and targeted attacks, then, you know, this is the hour that makes the most sense to target. From the brussels metro, the brussels subway system they are shutting down the whole system. All metro stations are closing across brussels. That follows reports of three explosions at three different metro stations in the heart of the capital. Very symbolic areas next to the seat of the European Union and of the belgian government. A big deal, everybody. Were getting these reports of additional explosions. Local media reporting them at several metro stations within the city of brussels this coming after those two explosions that took place at the airport roughly about 8 00, id say, local time there in brussels. Brussels is five hours ahead of us right now because of Daylight Saving time normally it would be six. So, alex at this point theyve shut down the airport. They have shut down the metro station. I could just imagine this is a city that is just in the throes of a lot of angst right now. Imagine in the u. S. In d. C. Or philadelphia or new york shutting down the main airport and shutting down the subway station. That would absolutely wreak havoc. I remember about six years ago covering a double suicide bombing in the metro in moscow and the russians only shut down about six stops on the in et tree because they wanted to isolate it and keep everything going. Now, europeans are taking a lot more would take a lot more and were seeing it now. The belgians shutting down the entire subway system, a clear indication and confirmation of those three attacks that happened at the three different stations and so right now, the only way to get around this city is by car, by bus, we havent heard yet whats happening with the Railway System but when you are shutting down the subway system of a major european city, fears of attacks and possible more attacks to come. In the time youve been reporting in brussels with the recent events have you seen anything like this where at any kind of closures like this have occurred or where that would seem to be something that would occur. Reporter im sorry. I was asking in the recent events youve been covering surrounding all these events how unusual is it . Maelbeek . But these quick reactions. Not unprecedented but how unusual is it. Its extremely unusual. To shut gown the entire airport and not couch it in language that would leave any short of is a clear indication that they believe that this is terrorism. They there have been evacuations of other airports in other european cities like geneva and i was there but they were doused by saying this happens all the time. If youre shutting down the subway system, theres fears of more happening. It should be of note. Youre familiar with belgium as am i a lot of people travel through the rail system. Its a great rail network and all also more importantly it connects to paris and amsterdam and to the netherlands and within just a matter of a couple of hours with the highspeed trains there so theyve really targeted an area where they knew a lot of people would be and would cripple the city. Reporter absolutely. A good point. Suddenly you drive an hour an youre speaking a different language. American students are always coming over here and getting their eurorail passes and traveling all over the continent. Something people have been doing for years so to a large extent people rely a lot and certainly rely a lot more on trains and than the u. S. Does. There are, of course, Budget Airlines that fly all over europe that are very popular, but this is these cities are so interconnected and that was one of the problems that we saw in paris, these people were able to slip into paris from other countries unnoticed. Under the agreement they have, there are essentially no borders between these european countries, there are checkpoints and sometimes people are stopped but it is very easy to travel between these countries. And, alex, just give us a sense of where you are now, what there. Convoy. Were on foot. All the roads are empty. The police have set up a perimeter around the airport. No vehicles are being allowed in. But people are being allowed to come and go on foot. We have seen some travelers, some of the thousands who were presumably trying to get out of Brussels Airport this morning leaving the airport trying to get back out to the highways and i would imagine get a car to go back into brussels. But we are approaching the airport. It is the scene of confusion, theres police tape, lots of sirens and Emergency Services all around the airport and i would imagine the same scene is playing out now in brussels with the closure of that metro system. They have said that they have shut down the entire system and not just the stations that were reported to have been targeted to be paralysis in the belgian capital. Lots of traffic, nothing moving in the metro and a lot of confused and scared people. Alex, i should mention were getting word from American Airlines, you mentioned one might have taken place in a terminal where American Airlines operates out of so the word is right now we are aware of an incident at the Brussels Airport departure hall and taking care of our customers, employees and contractors. At this time all of our employees and contractors are accounted for with no injuries reported. American Airlines Flight 751 has been canceled for today. When operations at the airport resume we will recommend reaccommodate, rather, our customers so American Airlines there addressle flight 751 and many of its passengers and crew members who were likely to be at the airport this morning. Of course, 25 minutes ago the Brussels Airport did tweet that passengers that are still located in other areas of the and to wait for further information. Alex, you mentioned youre seeing many so of these passengers stream out. Is it large crowds of passengersy do you get a sense that theres still theyre still at the airport because those are the pictures we have earlier of large crowds, just kind of floating around trying to figure out where to go or whats going on. Some of them emotional talking to authorities. And really it just seems like everybody is still there. What is your sense . Well, initially it was a trickle but thats because we were further away. Now were closer coming up on what looks like the main perimeter around the airport. A lot more people, a lot more of a Police Presence and more passengers. Im looking at a man now clearly wounded, wrapped in a blanket. He has a gash on his leg. It is bloody and so he would be one fof the many wounded at the airport this morning. The scenes were seeing are not chaotic of theyre relatively orderly. Suitcases away from the airport. Confused. Not knowing where to go and see people getting on to buses who will be taken away from the airport. They were trying to fly at 8 00, 9 00, 10 00 in the morning when most of the early flights of the day are taking off talking about thousands trying to leave this airport who had packed into that departures hall and who are now not able to fly. Many wounded and so we are seeing a steady stream, really a river of passengers with their bags leaving the airport trying to figure out where to go. Our Alex Marquardt is at the airport in brussels where several have been injured and at least one person is dead but were also getting this report from the associated press. An ap reporter saying several people injured in explosion in brussels metro near the eu offices. Place at three different metro stations this morning, one of them, the stations were told by our producers here located just one stop apart but more importantly, one of them is the exit sean entry point for the European Union, alex, so it does appear very much as if this is a coordinated attack this morning. Reporter that was the major fear and in the past few months after paris. Paris, of course, showed us all that these types of highly coordinated and very deadly attacks can take place under the noses of the police. It had been in the plan in the works for a long time and get the authorities were not able to pick up on it. 130 dead at the end of the day at major sites across paris. The fear out of that, intelligence officials in the uk, in france saying that they feared more of the same. But not just coordinated attacks within one city but coordinated attacks across cities so when at 8 00 at the airport this morning, if youre an intelligence official, immediate assumption is going to be where else could this be taking place. We as a News Organization were thinking where else could this take place . And on our way walking to the airport, the first reports came out of explosions at the metro. So this does appear to be a coordinated simultaneous attack, targeting the belgian transportation system, the airport airport, zaventem, one of the biggest of brussels referred to as the capital of europe, this is not only a very tactical attack but very symbolic. And the terror level going to maximum level in the wake of the airport explosions, now we have the reports of the three more explosions on the three metro stations, the entire subway system closed at this moment. Give us another sense of whats going on there. Youre seeing the crowds of passengers leaving the airport. Scene. Not chaotic. Are people visibly bway. I would imagine its pretty jarring and getting word of city. Chaotic. I mean that people are not screaming running around of concern. You can see it on their face, orderly. I should highlight that. These explosions happened just under two hours ago and people are still streaming out from the airport by the hundreds. By the thousands. But it is very orderly. People walking very calmly, obviously no smiles on their faces but you dont see too much trauma. There isnt much crying or screaming so what theyre going to be trying to figure out now where to go. They cant take their flights out of here and likely hearing taking place in brussels. The police are funneling them away from the airport towards an overpass and were see more and up. So, alex, lets im going to ask to pull up that map once again to show you a sense of where were talking right now. Terror has struck the european capital, you would say, of belgium this morning and it first started around id say 3 00 east coast time, 8 00 belgium time getting this from the Prime Minister of belgium saying there were two explosions in the departure hall around 8 a. M. Local. Thats about 3 00 eastern time here in the u. S. , the possibility of a terrorist attack is being investigated. Our priority is to secure the area. There have been many injured. The level and threat in belgium has been raised to four, the maximum alert with special airports, stations and Nuclear Plant s plants but also releasing that statement but that came out prior to the word of the other explosions at the train stations this morning. We should mention injured have been taken to a hospital where a crisis plan has been activated so the city reacting to what is going on in brussels this morning. The metro stations are closed following records of those explosions on the three different subway stations, all separate from one another following the two explosions and the departure hall of this Brussels Airport around 8 00 a. M. The time as alex explained peak time for people to be moving through the city, commuting through the city and now everything is coming to a close. Transportation shutting down. Alex, we should point out were getting word that other airports understandably around europe are being beefed up at least with security. Heathrow, of course, in london, charles de gaulle, of course in paris, many of these airports understandably after this mornings incident. Reporter were the belgian Prime Minister put out a statement confirming the explosions at the airport this morning. In the departure hall saying right now its the possibility of a terror attack that is being investigated. In mention of possible attacks in downtown brussels but has been raised to 4, its highest alert level with an emphasis on transport hubs and Nuclear Plants as you just mentioned. Confirmation at least one metro stop and there are reports from belgian media there were two others, as well. Well give him a quick break and on the phone abcs consultant john cullen who is our terrorism consultant. John, can you hear us . Yes, i can hear you. It would appear to be a Worst Nightmare playing out in belgium. Yes, it appears things are not going in the right direction. If one explosion possibly could have been something that was un unrelated to terrorism but if the reports are true, that there are multiple explosions, taking place in multiple transportation facilities, this would have the earmarks of a terrorist attack. John, can you give us a sense of your reaction to this in light of the recent events with the recent arrest of Salah Abdeslam . Well, weve been hearing warnings from Law Enforcement and intelligence authorities for months now about their concerns that there could be hundreds if europe, United States and canada who have been inspired by the ideology of groups like isis. While the arrest in brussels was a welcome sign from the standpoint of the terrorist attack in paris, that should, you know, that doesnt diminish the fact that its a significant threat facing europe that remains. And, john, as we keep you on the line we have new video we want to call up here in a moment of the smoky subways as we mentioned and look at that. What a horrifying scene that is right now. This is the scene playing out just within the last half hour or so in downtown brussels. One of three metro stations that were attacked this morning. It would appear to be attacked where you had three explosions go off and smoke billowing out of that location right now. John, i dont know if youve gotten a chance to look at many of the images that were getting. I know its fairly early but any sense when you look at the there of the explosions there at the airport, any sense of what might have been used or how this might have happened . Its too early to tell and the investigators are obviously looking at this first and foremost, security authorities are going to try to gain control of the situation. They are going to, you know, provide aid to those who are injured at these locations but they have got to figure out if theyre more attacks coming and stop those attacks for the safety of the citizens in the city are going to be the most important factor on security official officials mights at this point. Can you walk us through what Security Officials will be doing right now. We know the terror alert was raised to the maximum level after the explosions, the metro completely shut down and airport being evacuated. All Flights Canceled or diverted. Nothing is going on there now. So what are authorities going to be doing as we speak in reacting right because theyre unfol