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Brussels metro station reopens after attack

Passengers read messages on a commemorative wall at Maalbeek metro station
Passengers read messages on a commemorative wall at Maalbeek metro station

The Maalbeek metro station in Brussels, which was hit by a suicide attack last month that killed 16 people, has reopened to passengers.

Suicide bomber Khalid El-Bakraoui blew himself up at the station on 22 March, an hour after two other bombers killed 16 people at Brussels airport.

A total of 32 people lost their lives in the bombings in Europe's symbolic capital, with a further 300 people injured.

The attacks were claimed by the so-called Islamic State militant group.

Handwritten notes on the walls of the station expressed condolences for those killed.

Families of the victims were allowed special access to the station on Saturday to mourn their loved ones, before the official reopening to commuters.

The scene at the heart of rush hour this morning was calm, with commuters expressing patience over the month-long closure, despite criticism of Belgium's handling of the aftermath of the attacks.

The closure "was for the right reasons", according to one commuter.

"I can understand that there was a need to analyse all the damage, I can understand all that," she said.

Today marks the first day since the tragedy that the entire Brussels metro network is running normally.

Many stations had remained shut and operating hours were reduced because of a lack of security staff.

Brussels airport, meanwhile, is only set to resume full operations in June after it was completely closed to passengers for 12 days following the attack.