A party of St Andrews University students visiting the European Parliament in Brussels are said to be safe following this morning’s terror attacks.
Over 20 people are feared dead after co-ordinated attacks at the airport and an underground train station.
Students from St Andrews were in Brussels when the terrorists attacked.
The group were part of a delegation being given a guided tour of the European Parliament by Conservative MEP Ian Duncan.
He tweeted to confirm all were safe.
Team safe in #EuroParl. Visitor groups, St Andrews students & Scottish Conservative Women's Council, safe in hotel. @ScotTories
— Ian Duncan (@IanDuncanHMG) March 22, 2016
A spokesman for St Andrews University later said: “A group of 12 of our students were in Brussels visiting the European Parliament as guests of Ian Duncan MEP.
“We’ve been able to speak with members of the group who are all now safe and well in their hotel and hoping to fly home tomorrow. We’re very grateful to Mr Duncan and his staff for their assistance in ensuring the group’s safety.”
St Andrews University rector Catherine Stihler is currently locked down in the Dutch Embassy following the suspected terrorist attacks.
The Labour MEP had been at a working breakfast discussing the future of digital technologies with companies such as Apple and Nokia when an explosion hit the Maelbeek metro station, just a few minutes’ walk away.
My team and I are safe. I am still locked down in the Dutch Embassy.Thoughts and prayers with the 23 killed and their families this morning.
— Catherine Stihler (@C_Stihler_MEP) March 22, 2016
Scotland’s other politicians in Europe the SNP’s Ian Hudghton and Alyn Smith, Labour’s David Martin, Conservative Ian Duncan and David Coburn of Ukip have all been confirmed safe.
Ms Stihler told The Courier: “The person next to me in the meeting said there had been an explosion at the airport and all of a sudden I started to get all these messages.
“The meeting came to a conclusion and we were told we were not allowed to leave the building because there had been an explosion at a nearby station.
“The airport has just been done up and last week was the first time it had its new security. It just seems to have been destroyed.Click here for live updates“My thoughts and prayers are with the people who have been killed or injured today and with their families.”
The SNP’s Europe spokesman, North East Fife MP Stephen Gethins, spent four years living and working in Brussels.
He said: “This is devastating news from Brussels this morning. My thoughts are with everyone who is affected by today’s atrocities. Brussels is a wonderful city, multi-national and cultured with people living and working together from across the globe.
“It stands for the very best in what these terrorists hate most. I know that Bruxelloise of all nationalities and backgrounds will be resilient in the face of these horrors.”
Aberdonian Ross McKenzie, who works in the European Parliament, described how the building he was on the seventh floor of rattled with the force of the Maalbeek station blast.
He said: “We heard a loud explosion then about five minutes later it was all sirens from emergency services and the street was blocked off. Everybody just stopped what they were doing.
“We stayed there for a while. The Parliament was advising people it was best to stay inside. It’s all so surreal.
“People are shocked but there’s not mass hysteria. People are taking the advice of authorities and trying to stay as calm as possible.
“I think people are just hoping it’s the end of it right now and there’s not going to be anything more. I don’t think anyone saw this coming.”