Brussels survivor from Birmingham describes Maelbeek blast

A British survivor of the Brussels terror attacks has described the aftermath of an explosion at a metro station which killed 20 people.

Mark Beamish, 35, had just stepped off the train at Maelbeek on his way to work on Tuesday when the blast hit.

He said he has "no memory" of the explosion itself, which left him with cuts to his head and burns to his hands.

The explosion hit the station near the EU headquarters at about 08:00 GMT.

More on this story and others from Birmingham

Little more than an hour after the airport blasts, Maelbeek metro station, near key EU buildings, was attacked

"I was travelling with a friend so I remember shaking his hand goodbye as I stepped off the train," said the European Parliament worker, originally from King's Heath, Birmingham.

"And that's the last thing I remember. I don't remember a blast. I don't remember any sound or vision.

"I have one static image of me crouching on some stairs covered in dust.

"The next thing I remember was being outside the station being looked after by a bystander."

Two blasts went off at Zaventem airport at 07:00 GMT and another hit Maelbeek metro station an hour later

Brussels attacks: Victims and survivors

He said his glasses must have been blown off but had protected his eyes from injury.

He said: "I remember being helped down to the floor by a bystander and then a paramedic coming along who called my wife for me to tell her that I was injured but I would be fine.

"Then there was some panic about 20 minutes after the blast.

"The bystander who was helping me said 'get up, get up, they're telling us to run."