Two Dutch missing after Brussels attacks

Two Dutch people were missing after the attack at Brussels airport, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Wednesday.

Alexander and Sascha Pinczowski, a brother and sister in their twenties from Maastricht, were supposed to fly on Tuesday morning from Brussels to the United States where they live.

They were waiting for their flight to New York in the departure hall of Zaventem airport when two explosions took place. Their parents heard the explosions during a phone call with them, after which the connection broke.

Since the attacks, there has been no contact with Alexander and Sascha. Their mother is now via Facebook looking for contact with people who have heard of her children. The family traveled to Brussels on Tuesday afternoon to continue their search.

"It is a terrible situation for the family who are left in uncertainty. Our employees are in close contact with them. The embassy is doing everything it can to quickly get clarity from the Belgian authorities", said Dutch Minister of Foreign affairs Bert Koenders on Wednesday.

The attacks at Zaventem airport and at Maalbeek metro station in Brussels left 31 people dead and 261 others wounded, according to the latest official figure from the Belgian federal prosecutor. The identification of the victims is difficult, said Belgian Health Minister Maggie de Block.

One other Dutchman slightly injured in the airport attack has been treated in hospital, the Dutch Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday. Endit