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A Brussels hero: This airport worker pulled seven people to safety
A 40-year-old airport baggage worker rescued seven injured people after two bombs went off in the departure hall of Brussels airport on Tuesday.
A 40-year-old airport baggage worker rescued seven injured people after two bombs went off in the departure hall of Brussels airport on Tuesday.
Alphonse Youla, who handles baggage and security for flights with African destinations, was near the check-in desk when the explosions were heard.
He helped carry injured people into elevators to get them away from the scene.
“Alphonse was wrapping bags by check in desks when he heard the explosion. He pulled seven wounded people to safety,” tweeted BBC News Europe reporter Gavin Lee, who interviewed Youla after the explosions.
“I saw people lying on the ground with a lot of blood who weren’t moving anymore,” he told The Wall Street Journal.
“A lot of people lost limbs. One man lost both legs and there was a policeman with a totally mangled leg,” Youla told the AFP.
A video showed devastation in the hall, with ceiling tiles and glass scattered across the floor. Bloodied bodies lay around.
Youla also told reporters he carried five dead bodies away from the place.
“I helped carry out five dead people, their legs destroyed,” he said, hands covered in the victims’ blood.
