Chinese victim of Brussels terrorist attacks died in hospital before his relatives arrived in Belgium
Deng Jingquan was passing through Zaventem airport when suicide bombers launched attacks
Deng Jingquan, the sole Chinese national to date confirmed to have been killed by Islamic State’s attacks in Brussels on Tuesday, died at a local hospital on Friday and four relatives and a friend arrived in the Belgian capital on Saturday, the Post has learned.
The Shenzhen-based man, less than a month shy of his 25th birthday, was one of 31 people killed in the attacks claimed by Islamic State. Suicide blasts hit the main terminal of Zaventem airport and another explosion struck a subway carriage at Maelbeek station close to the European Union institutions in the Belgian capital. The attacks also injured some 300 people, including some who remained in critical condition.
News that Deng, a Chinese national, had been killed came as Belgian federal prosecutors said yesterday they had charged three men, including a suspect media believed is a man seen on security footage with two suicide bombers at Brussels airport on Tuesday.
The man, identified only as Faycal C and whom media reported was the man wearing a hat and a light jacket in the picture at the airport, was charged with taking part in the activities of a terrorist group and actual and attempted terrorist murder. A prosecutor’s statement said no weapons or explosives were found during a search of his home.
According to a friend’s account, Deng was at the Brussels airport at the time of the explosions on March 22. He was going to catch flight JP377 scheduled to depart at 9.05am local time for the Slovenian capital Ljubljana.
The two explosions, only moments apart, tore through the airport’s check-in area at 7.58am local time.
Images and basic information about Deng were shared on social media after he was reported missing on Tuesday.
Heidi Simons, a translator who has helped people looking for relatives and friends in Belgium after the attacks, told the Post that Deng died on Friday.
“I can confirm that Frank has passed away,” she said. “I am devastated… I was contacted by the Chinese embassy and they confirmed it,” she added.
Simons said Deng was severely injured by the blasts and died later at a local hospital. She added she would meet four of his relatives and a friend as well as representatives of the Chinese embassy. The party of five travelled from Hong Kong to Brussels, arriving on Saturday.
Chinese authorities said on Friday that a Chinese national whose surname was Deng had been killed in the terror attacks.
“We express deep condolences over the death of our Chinese compatriot and strong condemnation on the criminal act of the terrorists,” said the Chinese embassy on its website.
Some 40 nationalities were thought to be represented among the deceased and wounded in the attacks that were claimed by Islamic State.
Additional reporting by Reuters
