Second time lucky for Norwegian in Brussels
The Local Norway - [email protected]
Published: 22 Mar, 2016 CET.
Updated: Tue 22 Mar 2016 12:38 CET
A Norwegian man who was only metres from Norway’s government high-rise when it was bombed in 2011, is counting his lucky stars after narrowly escaping Tuesday’s bombing at Brussels airport.
“I was bloody lucky!” Johan Christian Tandberg told NRK about the attack. “That was pretty close today too.”
Tandberg was only minutes away from the Oslo tower housing the Prime Minister’s office when far-Right extremist Anders Behring Breivik detonated a car bomb underneath it.
He was then the first to rush into the damaged building, recording 16 minutes of the chaos and destruction on his mobile phone in some of the most dramatic footage of the attack.
On Tuesday, he was in Terminal B of Brussels Airport when the bomb hit.
“Unfortunately, I’ve been involved in this before,” he said. “I had just got past the baggage area when it exploded. I ran into a restaurant and hid.”
Tandberg said that since witnessing Breivik’s bomb attack he had been highly conscious of how vulnerable major European cities are.
“Every time I go to Brussels, I think that it is a vulnerable city,” he said. “That was close today.”
At least 13 people were killed in the explosions at the airport, according to the latest reports in Belgian media, and several dozens have been left injured.
Metro operator Stib confirmed 15 casualties in the metro blast and 55 wounded, however unconfirmed police reports claimed the death toll could rise.
The Belgian prosecutor said that the airport explosions were suicide bombings, confirming the fears that the capital was targeted by terrorists.
Lillann Weggersen, a Norwegian press officer with the EEA described the scene at the Maelbeek metro station.
"What struck me the most was was an elderly lady who got pushed out in a wheelchair. She was clearly alive, but in shock." she told NTB. "I saw several others with minor injuries such as cuts to the face and torn clothing. They looked as if they have been at war."
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“I was bloody lucky!” Johan Christian Tandberg told NRK about the attack. “That was pretty close today too.”
Tandberg was only minutes away from the Oslo tower housing the Prime Minister’s office when far-Right extremist Anders Behring Breivik detonated a car bomb underneath it.
He was then the first to rush into the damaged building, recording 16 minutes of the chaos and destruction on his mobile phone in some of the most dramatic footage of the attack.
On Tuesday, he was in Terminal B of Brussels Airport when the bomb hit.
“Unfortunately, I’ve been involved in this before,” he said. “I had just got past the baggage area when it exploded. I ran into a restaurant and hid.”
Tandberg said that since witnessing Breivik’s bomb attack he had been highly conscious of how vulnerable major European cities are.
“Every time I go to Brussels, I think that it is a vulnerable city,” he said. “That was close today.”
At least 13 people were killed in the explosions at the airport, according to the latest reports in Belgian media, and several dozens have been left injured.
Metro operator Stib confirmed 15 casualties in the metro blast and 55 wounded, however unconfirmed police reports claimed the death toll could rise.
The Belgian prosecutor said that the airport explosions were suicide bombings, confirming the fears that the capital was targeted by terrorists.
Lillann Weggersen, a Norwegian press officer with the EEA described the scene at the Maelbeek metro station.
"What struck me the most was was an elderly lady who got pushed out in a wheelchair. She was clearly alive, but in shock." she told NTB. "I saw several others with minor injuries such as cuts to the face and torn clothing. They looked as if they have been at war."
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