Brussels, Oct 19 (IANS): A major airport in Belgium was forced to close and cancel all departing flights until Wednesday, following a strike staged by the contracted security agency's staff.

Five police officers present at were injured on Tuesday after passengers tried to forcefully enter the the Brussels South Charleroi Airport, Xinhua news agency reported.

The strike began on Monday following disputes between the workers' unions and the airport group BCSA Security.

The contracted security agency Security Master's staff have blamed BCSA Security's decision to award contracts for passenger security checks to two operators instead of one.

The strike caused heavy disruptions, leading to cancellation of all flights departing from the airport.

However, arriving flights have not been affected.

Several airlines have decided to divert their flights departing from Belgium to Brussels Zaventem Airport.

Located about 45 km south of the capital, Brussels South Charleroi Airport is Belgium's second-largest airport.

It mainly serves budget airlines, in particular Ireland's low-cost carrier Ryanair.