A man "possibly carrying explosives" has been arrested near a shopping centre in Brussels, officials in the Belgian capital have said.

Local reports say the City2 complex in the centre of Brussels was evacuated on Tuesday morning.

The arrest has triggered a meeting of the Prime Minister Charles Michel and the national crisis response centre to discuss the incident.

The area around the City2 shopping centre, a major commercial hub in the centre of the Belgian capital, has been sealed off.

"A man was arrested at 5.30 this morning, possibly in possession of explosives. The bomb disposal team of the army is verifying whether this is the case," a spokeswoman for the Brussels prosecutor said.