Bomb-hit Brussels subway station reopens a month on

The Brussels subway station where 16 people were killed by a suicide bomber has reopened just over a month after the attacks. Security remains high across the underground network, which was hit during the March 22 peak morning travel period. The opening of the Maelbeek station Monday brought the Belgian capital’s underground network back up to full capacity. Brussels Metro spokeswoman An Van Hamme said “there wasn’t any structural damage. So there were a few works that had to be done”. Commuters can leave messages on a tribute wall in the main station entrance.

Life must go on. The madness of men is what it is but peace must win over.

Goolon Luolovic, a 42-year-old metro passenger

Maelbeek station has been closed since Khalid El-Bakraoui detonated a bomb at 9:11 am on March 22 that killed 16 people on a train, part of coordinated attacks that hit the airport in Zaventem neighbourhood just over an hour earlier. One of the station’s eight tiled portraits by artist Benoit van Innis remains damaged and will be covered up. The same artist is now working on a project to commemorate the massacre that is due to be completed in June. Damage to the airport was far more extensive and the transport hub is not expected to be fully operational until June.

Maelbeek