Maalbeek/Maelbeek metro station

Geschiedenis

Maalbeek or Maelbeek is a Brussels Metro station in the City of Brussels. The name of the station originates from a stream named Maalbeek. It is served by lines 1 and 5.HistoryIt was inaugurated on 17 December 1969 as a premetro station (i.e., with trams instead of trains) as part of the first underground public transport route in Belgium that initially stretched from De Brouckère to Schuman. In 1976, this premetro line was converted into a heavy metro line that was later split into two distinct lines in 1982: lines 1A and 1B, both of which serve Maelbeek/Maalbeek. the lines were reorganised and renumbered 1 and 5.2016 Brussels bombingsOn 22 March 2016 at 09:11 CET, an explosion took place at the Maelbeek/Maalbeek metro station. The bomb exploded from the second carriage of a four carriage train as it started to leave the Maelbeek/Maalbeek station and head in the direction of Arts-Loi/Kunst-Wet. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant released a statement claiming responsibility for the attack and branding Belgium a participant in the ongoing Military intervention against ISIL. The suicide attack took place about an hour after the bombings took place in Brussels Airport. The Flemish radio and television organisation VRT officially reported 20 people were killed at the metro station, with 106 injured.