OTTAWA — Global Affairs Canada says it has no reports of any Canadian citizens being affected by Tuesday’s explosions at the airport in Brussels and at a metro station in the city.
Global Affairs Canada says the Canadian embassy in Brussels is “closely monitoring the situation” and is trying to determine if any Canadians have been affected.
In Ottawa, Public Security Minister Ralph Goodale said the security level in Canada, which is currently at “medium” will not be increased.
In an advisory posted on its website early Tuesday, Global Affairs Canada said while there is no nationwide advisory in effect for Belgium, Canadians should exercise a “high degree of caution due to the current elevated threat of terrorism.”
Air Canada has issued a travel alert for customers trying to travel through the Brussels airport, advising flights may be cancelled or delayed. A flight to Brussels from Montreal scheduled to depart later Tuesday from Montreal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport has been cancelled.
The explosions, which the Brussels prosecutor’s office calls terror attacks, came just days after the main suspect in the deadly Nov. 13 Paris attacks was arrested Friday in the city.
Related
A sign on the front door at the entrance of the Belgian consulate in Montreal, Tuesday March 22, 2016, giving notice that the opening has been delayed by an hour following the attacks in Brussels.
After his arrest, 26-year-old Salah Abdeslam told authorities he had created a new network and was planning new attacks.
There is no immediate claim of responsibility for today’s attacks.
Belgium has raised its terror alert to its highest level, diverting arriving planes and trains and ordering people to stay where they were.
Airports across Europe immediately tightened security as a fleet of emergency vehicles roared in to handle the carnage at the Brussels airport.
In Montreal, Mayor Denis Coderre offered his condolences to the Belgian people, and said Montreal’s flag would be flown at half mast at city hall. The Belgian flag was flying at city hall Tuesday morning.
Rescue teams evacuate wounded people outside the Maalbeek metro station in Brussels on March 22, 2016 after a blast at this station located near the EU institutions. Belgian firefighters said at least 26 people had died after “enormous” blasts rocked Brussels airport and a city metro station today, as Belgium raised its terror threat to the maximum level.
Flights from Montreal diverted
Isabelle Arthur, media relations manager with Air Canada, told the Montreal Gazette none of the company’s staff was directly impacted in Brussels.
Flight AC832 was diverted to Paris and passengers were offered accommodations and assistance to reach their final destinations as soon as the travel ban is over.
Montreal’s sole daily direct flight to Brussels was also cancelled Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning — all other flights to Europe continue as per usual.
With files from The Associated Press.
