Electrical failure paralyzes much Belgian air traffic, causing delays, detours, cancellations

Passengers wait at ticketing desks at Brussels airport in Zaventem, Belgium on Wednesday, May 27, 2015. An electrical failure paralyzed much of the air traffic in and over Belgium on Wednesday and caused chaos at Brussels national airport because of the delays, detours and cancellations of flights. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert) (The Associated Press)

Passengers lay on the floor as they wait at Brussels airport in Zaventem, Belgium on Wednesday, May 27, 2015. An electrical failure paralyzed much of the air traffic in and over Belgium on Wednesday and caused chaos at Brussels national airport because of the delays, detours and cancellations of flights. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert) (The Associated Press)

Passengers sit on the floor as they wait at Brussels airport in Zaventem, Belgium on Wednesday, May 27, 2015. An electrical failure paralyzed much of the air traffic in and over Belgium on Wednesday and caused chaos at Brussels national airport because of the delays, detours and cancellations of flights. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert) (The Associated Press)

An electrical failure has paralyzed much of the air traffic in and over Belgium and should cause delays, detours and cancellations of flights for several hours.

The Eurocontrol air traffic body said the electrical failure at the local center will force planes to be grounded or detoured until 2 P.M. local time (1200GMT) Wednesday. The cause of the failure was not immediately clear.