Several schools in Brussels and the province of Walloon Brabant will remain shut on Monday morning after a bomb alert was received on Sunday evening.
The school authority Wallonie-Bruxelles Enseignement (WBE) announced on its website that 30 schools in its network will not open their doors to pupils on Monday morning after being the target of a bomb threat the previous evening.
After being informed of the threat in the evening, the WBE decided, in strict compliance with the precautionary principle, to suspend classes and the reception of pupils.
"Information was distributed to parents by the schools' management as soon as possible," the WBE noted in a statement. "If your child's school is not on this list, it is not affected."
Parents who have not received this information and whose children attend one of the schools listed below are invited to contact their headteacher if they would like further information.
The WBE is in contact with the relevant authorities, and the situation is "under constant review". Police will visit all related institutions throughout the day on Monday for a thorough assessment. Several sites have already been checked or are in the process of being checked.
Increase in alerts
The situation will be reassessed later on Monday to review whether the schools can be reopened on Tuesday, which will likely be the case. Updates will be regularly provided throughout Monday on the WBE network's website.
WBE noted that many schools have recently been affected by similar alerts: "We can only deplore the increase in this type of alert in recent weeks and the difficulties it causes for everyone, especially families."
Earlier this month, several schools in and outside of Brussels were evacuated after the police received reports of bomb threats. The Brussels Prosecutor's office stressed at the time that it takes these incidents very seriously. "False bomb threats are punishable by severe penalties ranging from three months to two years' imprisonment, and a fine of €400 to €2,400."
The following schools are affected:
- Athénée Royal d'Auderghem and the school attached to it;
- Athénée Royal Gatti de Gamond (secondary school) and the boarding school attached to it;
- Athénée Royal du Sippelberg (Molenbeek) and its primary school;
- Athénée Victor Horta (Saint-Gilles) and the primary school attached to it;
- Athénée Royal Uccle and the boarding school attached to it;
- Petite École dans la Prairie (Uccle);
- Royal Athenaeum of Woluwe-Saint-Lambert and its primary school;
- Royal Athenaeum of Evere and the primary school attached to it;
- Athénée Royal Leonardo Da Vinci (Goujons and De Swaef sites) and the primary school attached to it;
- Athénée Royal Rive gauche (Laeken) and the primary schools attached to it;
- Les Astronautes special-education school in Ixelles;
- Athénée Royal Riva Bella in Braine-l'Alleud (secondary school) and the boarding school attached to it;
- Royal Athenaeum in Waterloo and the primary schools and the boarding school attached to it;
- Athénée Royal de Jodoigne (secondary school);
- Paul Delvaux Royal Athenaeum in Ottignies and its primary school;
- Athénée Royal Rixensart Wavre (Wavre and Rixensart sites);
- Athénée Royal de la Rive Gauche in Laeken (secondary school);
- Athénée Royal d'Evere (secondary school);
- Athénée Royal de Rixensart Wavre (Wavre and Rixensart sites) and the primary schools and the boarding school attached to it.
In Belgium, terrorism threat level 3 has been in place since the terror attack in Brussels on 16 October. It is categorised as 'serious', meaning that the threat is "possible and probable", and will remain in force for some time.
