Another person dies in Brussels metro shutters

Another person has died after becoming trapped in an automatic iron roller shutter that closes off metro stations at night.

The incident occurred at the Anneessens pre-metro station at about 4.30 on Wednesday, Bruzz reports, and public transport operator Stib said the victim died at the scene.

Stib said the victim was either trying to break into the station or exit just as the automatic roller shutters were rising when the metro station opened. They became trapped and died.

The exact circumstances are still under investigation.

This is not the first time a person has been caught in and killed by the rolling shutters, despite accident prevention systems in place such as posted opening hours, a loud warning sound and flashing lights to indicate when the shutters are opening.

In 2023, four people became stuck in the roller shutters and one person died as a result.

While the details on the latest incident are not yet clear, previous cases involved homeless people sleeping in the stations near the rolling shutters or people under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Aid organisations such as Samusocial and Diogenes have previously noted that more people are using the metro as a shelter.