Alert in Brussels, metro not running, public gatherings cancelled

Belgium has raised the alert level for the capital region of Brussels to the highest level, warning the public to avoid crowds due to a serious threat of attack, a government official said.

The alert level for Brussels has been raised to the highest, fourth level after a meeting of ministers and the top police and security services.

- We advise the public to avoid places where many people gather, such as shopping centers, concerts, or public transport stations, as much as possible - said the spokesperson for the government's crisis center.

The measure was taken several hours after a person arrested in Belgium was charged with terrorism in connection with the attacks in Paris on November 13, which killed 130 people. This person, whose identity has not been disclosed, is the third person to be charged in Belgium for the Paris attacks.

The spokesperson for the crisis center refused to say what caused the change in the alert level as investigations are ongoing.

All metro stations will remain closed on Saturday in Brussels, announced Stib, the public transport company for Brussels, after Belgium raised the terror alert level to maximum due to an "imminent" threat.

The metro is not running in Brussels, and all events gathering a large number of people, such as sports matches, have been cancelled.

The Belgian government calls on citizens not to panic, not to spread rumors, and to rely solely on official communication channels.