WARNING: You may find some of these images distressing

Two explosions have struck the departures area of Zaventem airport in Brussels. The airport is being evacuated by emergency services and no flights are being allowed in or to leave. It has been reported that the blasts happened near the American Airlines check-in desk. A further explosion has been reported at a nearby metro station.

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The Belgian government has confirmed there are casualties but has given no numbers yet but some reports have just suggested 11 deaths so far and 22 injured. The blasts come four days after the capture in Brussels of Salah Abdeslam, the main suspect in the jihadist attacks in Paris on 13 November 2015. The Belga news agency has reported that ‘shots were fired and shouts in Arabic’ were heard before the two explosions.

The Belgian broadcaster RTBF quoted a witness as saying: “there were people injured or unconscious in the departure area, opposite the Sheraton hotel”.

Niels Caignau, a Swissport employee, told Flemish broadcaster VRT: “I was on a break and heard and felt a big explosion – we have from here a view over the departure hall and saw a plume of smoke come out. The windows are completely shattered. People went outside in shock. It doesn’t look good.”

Belgium’s Interior Minister Jan Jambon said on Monday that the country was on the highest level of alert after the capture of Salah Abdeslam.

People have taken to social media to post pictures of the devastation including this reporter…

#BREAKING: Two loud explosions at #Zaventem airport in #Brussels pic.twitter.com/JFw9RGLjnh

— Anna Ahronheim (@AAhronheim) March 22, 2016

Update: Several injuries reported after large explosions at @AmericanAir departure hall pic.twitter.com/1DzSHS2b3l

— Anna Ahronheim (@AAhronheim) March 22, 2016

This image was posted from inside the airport…