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News > World

Brussels Airport Delays Reopening, Attack Toll Lowered to 32

  • Wreckage are seen outside the terminal at Brussels International airport following bomb attacks in Brussels metro and Belgium's airport of Zaventem, Belgium, March 23, 2016.

    Wreckage are seen outside the terminal at Brussels International airport following bomb attacks in Brussels metro and Belgium's airport of Zaventem, Belgium, March 23, 2016. | Photo: Reuters

Published 30 March 2016
Opinion

Zaventem airport has been closed since twin bombings wrecked the departure hall on March 22. 

Brussels airport said it would not reopen on Wednesday despite tests on numerous airport services after suicide bombings struck its departure hall and, a metro train in the city last week.

Zaventem airport has been closed since twin bombings wrecked the departure hall on March 22, in coordinated suicide attacks that were claimed by the Islamic State group. Bombers also targeted Maalbeek metro station in central Brussels.

A total of 32 people were killed in Belgium's worst-ever attacks, the government said, down from an earlier toll of 35 following confusion between two lists of people who had died at the scene and in hospital.

"After thorough verification: number of victims goes down to 32. Still 94 people in hospital," Health Minister Maggie de Block tweeted.

All the victims have now been identified — many of them foreign nationals, testament to the cosmopolitan nature of a city that is home to both the European Union and NATO.

Hundreds of employees returned to the airport Tuesday for a large-scale test run to determine if services could partially resume from Wednesday, but those hopes were dashed.

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