How Durban man escaped Brussels terror

Koshir Kassie is glad to have escaped the Brussels bombings on Tuesday. Picture: Supplied

Koshir Kassie is glad to have escaped the Brussels bombings on Tuesday. Picture: Supplied

Published Mar 27, 2016

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A Durban man has described how he cheated death twice, first during the 2005 London bombings and again this week in Brussels.

Koshir Kassie, 28, from Clare Estate emigrated with his family to the UK in 2001.

On Tuesday he was making his way to Brussels for a business meeting and was meant to fly to the Zaventem Airport, but changed his route at the last minute.

Eleven years ago he was also nearby when terrorists bombed central London.

“I am a commercial manager and I travel to Belgium, usually Antwerp, from London twice a month,” he said. “I had a meeting at our production site and the plan was to meet a colleague flying in from Dublin. We would then hire a car and travel together for our meetings,” said Kassie.

By chance, his colleague said Kassie should take a later flight, otherwise he would have to leave home too early. Had he stuck to his original booking, he would have taken a train to the Brussels city centre, which would also have placed him near the metro blast.

But, at his colleague’s suggestion he changed his plans and flew to Antwerp instead.

“We (the passengers on the Antwerp flight) only realised something was wrong when we switched our phones on and received messages from friends and colleagues.”

There was a security lockdown from there on. “We received messages from the cockpit about security protocol and were held on the plane for an hour,” he said.

When Kassie finally disembarked he found Antwerp airport in chaos. “Police were everywhere, checking everyone entering the airport and preventing taxis and cars from approaching. There was a lot of panic about missed flights, connections and friends and family that may have been affected by the trouble in Brussels.

“I spent the day at our Antwerp head offices and stayed overnight in central Antwerp. My Dublin colleague who had been flying to Brussels was diverted to Liege airport and eventually returned to Dublin as the pilots allowed them to remain on board,” Kassie said.

“Sirens blared late into the night as the police and fire engines made themselves heard down every street. People were out in their masses and our hotel was soon fully booked. I expected people to stay indoors, but the restaurants and bars seemed very busy for a Tuesday night.”

Kassie said the next day seemed even more surreal.

“Life appeared to return to normal apart from the large number of reporters broadcasting from the blast sites. Massive manhunts were under way for the people involved. Even the barricades from the day before were closer to the airport.

“Although (there were fewer police officers around) taxis were still not allowed into the airport. All passengers and their luggage were checked upon entry and sniffer dogs were at the entrance,” Kassie said.

“It was scary… This is not the first time I have experienced something like this. When the London bombings took place in 2005, I was also in the vicinity. It was pure luck that I escaped,” he said.

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Sunday Tribune

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