Brussels Metro Hammer Attack on Video, Suspect Arrested
A violent attack at the Beurs (Bourse) premetro station in central Brussels was captured on video on Thursday morning, showing a man seriously wounded and lying bleeding on the platform as police arrested the suspected attacker. Two people were detained, and the victim — initially reported to be in critical condition — was later said to be out of danger.
A Street Fight That Moved Underground
The altercation erupted in the early morning on the Anspachlaan (Boulevard Anspach), a busy shopping and transit artery in the city centre, before spilling into the Beurs premetro station at the height of the morning rush hour.
According to BRUZZ, police spokesperson Ilse Van de Keere said emergency services were called early that morning for a fight involving three people. “The facts apparently began on the Anspachlaan and then moved to the Beurs premetro station, where police found an injured person,” she said. “The victim was taken to hospital in critical condition, but is no longer in life-threatening danger.”
The Video: A Tram Passenger Films the Attack
A passenger on a passing tram filmed the scene, and the footage — published by La Dernière Heure — shows a bare-chested man in shorts lying motionless on the platform, bleeding heavily from the head. Beside him stands a man swinging a hammer or small axe, his face and hands covered in blood, while a third man appears visibly panicked.
A woman’s call to emergency services is audible on the recording. “Can the police come as fast as possible?” she says. “A man is seriously injured on the floor of Beurs metro station and the aggressor is holding a hammer.”
The tram driver kept the doors closed and reassured passengers over the intercom: “I’ve already called the police, so don’t worry. We’ll stay here and I’ll keep the tram doors closed.” Moments later, the footage shows the suspect leaving the station, being wrestled to the ground by officers and held at gunpoint.
Two Arrests and a Day of Disruption
VRT NWS initially described the incident as a stabbing, but later reports consistently referred to a hammer or small axe. The station was closed and cordoned off for most of the day while the public prosecutor’s office carried out an on-site investigation. Tram lines 4 and 10 were disrupted, and Beurs station reopened to the public later that afternoon.
BRUZZ later reported that two people were arrested — one of them, the man seen holding the hammer, was also injured and taken to hospital for treatment. Het Laatste Nieuws, for its part, said it published only still images from the footage because the full video was too shocking — a contrast with La Dernière Heure, which released the recording.
A Video That Stirs Debate
The decision to publish the graphic footage highlights the difficult editorial choices such images pose for Belgian media. The clip had already spread widely on social media before the political dimension emerged: Vlaams Belang leader Tom Van Grieken obtained the footage and shared it on X with an ethnically charged caption.
Authorities have released no details about the suspect’s identity, and police have not confirmed any profile. The caption is best understood as a political statement that reflects a broader, intensifying debate over safety in the capital — a debate already fuelled by a recent series of shootings, which prompted the municipality of Molenbeek to introduce a ban on loitering in affected streets.
What’s Next
The Brussels public prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation. CCTV footage is being reviewed, those involved have yet to be questioned, and no motive has been established. For commuters and city officials alike, the key questions — what triggered the violence and what it means for security on Brussels’ public transport network — remain open.