4 injured, transport disrupted in Brussels as orange alert extended for Storm Austen

Four people were injured and transport was disrupted in Brussels as authorities extended an orange weather alert to the capital for Storm Austen, media reports said Friday. Three people were injured in Brussels after a tree fell on a cafe terrace, and a falling branch hit another person, the Brussels Times reported. The Royal Meteorological Institute also expanded the orange alert for wind gusts to the Capital Region due to Storm Austen.

The alert was extended to the Brussels-Capital Region, as well as the provinces of Flemish Brabant and Walloon Brabant, according to the report. "Dozens of call-outs are currently underway, and around 70 others are still awaiting attention," said Walter Derieuw, a spokesperson for the Brussels fire brigade. Storm damage has also disrupted several train services and tram lines in Brussels, according to public transport operator STIB-MIVB.

Meanwhile, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges confirmed that shipping traffic in the seaports remains at a standstill, with no arrivals or departures scheduled.