Two more US citizens confirmed dead in Brussels attack

Washington, March 28

The US State Department has confirmed the deaths of two more Americans in the Brussels suicide attacks, bringing the total number to four.

“We can confirm the deaths of two additional US citizens in Brussels, and we express our deepest condolences to their loved ones,” a State Department official told AFP.

The department had reported Friday that two Americans were killed and that additional US citizens were missing.

“We have no further information to share out of respect for the families during this difficult time,” the official said yesterday.

An American couple that had been reported missing, Justin and Stephanie Shults, were confirmed dead by an employer and family on Saturday. It was unclear whether they were among the four reported dead by the State Department.

Tuesday’s attacks on the Brussels airport and metro system, claimed by the Islamic State group, killed 31 people and wounded 340.

The State Department official said the US embassy in Brussels was providing consular assistance. —

Belgium attacks toll rises to 31

Brussels: 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 yesterday 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. — AFP