Belgium attacks toll raised to 31, could rise further

Brussels, Mar 28: The death toll from the March 22 attacks on Brussels' airport and the metro system has risen to 31 and could climb further, the Belgian Crisis Centre has said. It said 28 out of the 31 total victims had been formally identified - 15 at the airport and 13 at the Maalbeek metro station.

Experts were trying to identify the last three, with the results of DNA tests awaited, it said. The three suicide bombers - two at the airport and one on the metro, were not included in the total.

"Please note - some victims who have died in different hospitals are not yet included in the figures," it added. The Crisis Centre earlier on Sunday put the death toll at 28, with 24 formally identified.

It gave a breakdown in the latest figures, saying six of the airport victims were Belgian and nine were foreign nationals of American, Dutch, French, German, Swedish and Chinese nationalities.

In the Maalbeek attack, 10 of the dead were Belgians while three were foreigners from Britain, Italy and Sweden. According to the earlier statement, a total 340 people from 19 countries were injured, of whom 101 remain in hospital. Sixty-two of them are in intensive care, half of them with severe burns.

PTI