Anderlecht (The Brussels Morning Newspaper): An incident at Brussels-South station involved a “confused man” whose aggressive behavior prompted police intervention. Ticket counters were closed for safety, marking the fourth security incident this month.
Dimitri Temmerman, the spokesperson for NMBS (Belgian National Railway Company), said that an incident happened at the Brussels-South station hall just before 3 p.m. involving a “confused man.” The man was acting strangely which caught the attention of station security and people around. Because of his behavior the station staff called the police. When the police arrived they assessed the situation and decided to step in. The man was then escorted out of the station hall by the police for safety reasons. The incident did not cause major disruptions to train services, but it did lead to a brief security response at the station.
What safety measures are needed at Brussels-South station?
Dimitri Temmerman, the spokesperson for NMBS, provided more details about the incident at the Brussels-South station. He mentioned that the man appeared to be very aggressive in his behavior, which increased concerns among those present in the station hall. The man’s demeanor and actions were alarming enough that the staff members felt threatened by the situation. Although no one was physically injured during the incident the aggressive behavior left a strong impression on the staff who witnessed it. As a result of the fear and concern caused by the man’s actions the staff decided to close the ticket counters for the rest of the day. This decision was made as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety and well-being of both the staff and the passengers at the station. The temporary closure of the counters may have inconvenienced some travelers but it was considered necessary to address the anxiety and distress experienced by the staff following the incident. Abdelmajid Elatrouss, a representative from the ACOD Spoor union reported that a frustrated passenger threatened staff and others with a stick. This man wanted to go to France but felt he wasn’t receiving help quickly enough. On 27th August at tuesday there was a traffic delay due to a crash between a TV and a tractor near Tournai. The union representative also mentioned that the working conditions at Zuidstation are unsafe, marking this as the fourth incident this month. They have been requesting that a Securail staff member be present whenever the ticket offices are open an information point be set up in the middle of the station and a permanent police station be reinstated.
