Here Are The Victims Of The Brussels Attacks

At least 31 people died in Tuesday's explosions at the Brussels airport and subway station. BuzzFeed News will continue to update this story as victims are identified.

Gail Mingala Martinez, 41

Gail Mingala Martinez, the wife of a U.S. Air Force officer and a mother of four, died from injuries she sustained in the attacks.

The Corpus Christi, Texas, native's death was confirmed by U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold on Wednesday. She was with her family at the time of the bombings, and her children and husband Air Force Lt. Col. Kato Martinez remained in a hospital with injuries.

The family had been stationed in the Netherlands and previously lived in Guam. Photos on social media showed their travels together.

The condition of Martinez's family was not immediately released, but her brother released a statement to the Associated Press.

"Gail was special to so many people," the statement said. "She blessed people's lives and made this world a better place."

Adelma Tapia Ruiz, 37

Tapia, a Peruvian native who lived in Belgium, was the first fatality to be confirmed, the BBC reported.

The 37-year-old was at Brussels Airport with her husband, Christophe Delcambe, and their twin 4-year-old daughters, Maureen and Alondra. Delcambe was hospitalized with injuries, as was Maureen, who had shrapnel wounds in her arm, according to reports.

Tapia's death was confirmed by Peru's Foreign Ministry.

Her brother, Fernando Tapia Coral, told the New York Times that Delcambe followed their daughters out of the gate area where they had been playing when the explosion occurred. He could not find his wife after the attack.

In a Facebook post, Fernando Tapia wrote that his sister's death was "incomprehensible":

It's very complicated to describe this pain that we're feeling at home, but as an older brother I know that I have to do it. But even more incomprehensible is not being able to be close to her. And this tragedy today touched the doors of my family this morning in the Brussels airport when my sister Adelma Tapia died in the terrorist attack and was not able to survive this jihadist attack that we'll never understand.

Rest in peace little sister and strength to all of us who knew you. It will take much to assimilate that we will no longer see you in the short life that you had.

Tapia was set to catch a flight to New York to meet her sisters. She was a chef and was planning to return to Peru this year before setting up a Peruvian restaurant in Brussels, her brother told the Times.

"Now she can't come back," he said.

Léopold Hecht, 20

Hecht, a 20-year-old law student from Brussels, was killed in the attack at the subway station, his university confirmed on Facebook.

On Tuesday, Hecht's brother wrote on Facebook that Hecht had been found and was hospitalized but did not provide details of his condition.

"There are no words to describe our dismay at the news," wrote Pierre Jadoul, the rector of Saint-Louis University, Brussels.

Students and friends paid tribute to Hecht and recalled watching his improv acting.

""We didn't know each other that well, I had seen you play once during an improv game in the amphitheater," one person wrote. "I thought you were amazing! It's awful to think that you, who had made me laugh so hard that night, was torn away from such a promising life. You seemed like a great guy! Rest in peace Leopold."

Another friend wrote: "You were so full of light on that Monday 14th of March during the improv game. Your sense of humor, your smile, your energy, your talent brightened the night. Antoine, your improv mate, his sister, and I remember you, in our hearts, as a magnificent young man."

Olivier Delespesse

Delespesse's death was confirmed on Facebook by his employer, the Federation of Wallonia-Brussels, an institution that serves French speakers in the region.

A friend, who said that Delespesse had not returned messages or calls after he took the subway to work, also confirmed his death on Facebook.

Co-workers remembered Delespesse as helpful and "always smiling."

"The Famille de l'Administration just lost one of its members, someone available, helpful, considerate, always smiling," one co-worker wrote on Facebook. "Olivier had many other qualities. May your joy of life stay with you on this new journey."

Sascha and Alexander Pinczowski

Siblings Sascha and Alexander, who are Dutch but live in New York, were waiting to board a flight back to New York at Brussels Airport when the attacks happened Tuesday morning.

The pair were visiting their mother, Marjan, who lives in Lanaken in Belgium.

Originally reported missing, the pair are now believed to have died in the attack, Lanaken Mayor Marino Keulen told local media.

"On behalf of all the residents of our community, I offer my deepest sympathy," Keulen said. "Although somehow expected this news is very hard. The uncertainty is gone. We immediately to the parents of the victims offered our help."

In a statement the family said: "The Belgian Authorities tonight provided, to the families gathered as Astrid Hospital in Brussels, a list of the names of all remaining victims of the tragedy of March 22 who remain alive. Sadly, our beloved Alexander and Sascha were not among them."

Belgian authorities and the Dutch Embassy positively identified their remains, the Associated Press reported.

Alexander was engaged to American woman Cameron Cain. Her father, James Cain, confirmed the news to the AP, saying the family was "grateful to have closure on this tragic situation."

Cameron's uncle Charles Cain told local newspaper the High Point Enterprise that Alexander was like family.

"Alex is very close to us. He's been to my dad's house in High Point several times with Cameron. Cameron is 25 years old and lives in New York. For five years, she has been dating Alex. He's become a family member."

Fabienne Vansteenkiste, 51

Belgian woman Fabienne Vansteenkiste, 51, was a baggage handler at Brussels Airport and was just finishing her shift at 8 a.m. when the first bomb went off.

While her body hasn't been formally identified, her relative Willy Luypaert told Belgian media the family believed she had died in the attack.

"Officially, it will still take days declared for Fabienne death, but our family is realistic," he said, adding that she worked near the explosions where her personal belongings were recovered. He said they expected that she was severely injured in the attack and had eventually died.

Another relative, Christel Hanssens, wrote on Facebook that she was "full of disbelief and sadness" about Vansteenkiste's death.

David Dixon

Missing David Dixon confirmed dead in Brussels attack https://t.co/w8LUdI2jyy

Originally from Nottingham, England, computer programmer David Dixon was living in Brussels with his partner, Charlotte Sutcliffe, and their young son.

The U.K. Foreign Office confirmed Friday that he had been killed in the explosion at Maelbeek metro station.

Dixon had texted his aunt to tell his family he was safe after explosions at Brussels Airport on Tuesday but his family did not hear from him after a further explosion at a metro station, the BBC reported.

Dixon's friend Simon Hartley-Jones told the BBC the couple had lived in Brussels for about 10 years and returned to Nottingham regularly.

"David is a programmer and works in the centre of Brussels," said Hartley-Jones.

He described Dixon, originally from Hartlepool, as "a lovely guy" and "an amazing man who deeply, deeply loves his son".

Bart Migom, 21

The Howest University in Belgium, where Migom was a second-year marketing student, confirmed his death Friday.

In a Facebook post to students, the university said it received the news of his death from his parents. "Our thought go out to Bart's family, and we convey our deepest sympathies to his parents, brother and sister," Howest's managing director, Lode De Geyter, wrote. "In particular also his brother Levi and his cousin Benjamin, who are also members of the Howest community. We, his fellow students, colleagues and friends are deeply affected by this loss. More than ever it is important to support each other, to find comfort and strength in our memories of Bart."

Hundreds of Howest students gathered Friday afternoon for a minute's silence in Migom's memory, local media reported.

Migom's sister, Sarah-Lynn Migom, posted a picture of her with Migom, writing, "I love you, little brother."

Migom's Facebook page was also memorialized by his family.

American Emily Eisenman, Migom's girlfriend, who's from Atlanta, told CNN Thursday, that Migom was on his way to the U.S. to meet her when the attacks happened. She said the last time she she spoke to him was before he got on the train to Brussels Airport.

"He promised he would tell me once he got to the airport safely," Eisenman said. But that was the last she heard from him.

Eisenman, who was still hoping that her boyfriend would be found alive, told CNN, "These last two days have been something I never thought I would feel. It's been the worst days of my life. I guess I didn't know how much one person can love another."

She said the two met five months ago, when Migom came to the U.S. for the first time to attend a health retreat she had organized.

"I just cannot wait to see his smile," she said. "I'm just in hope that time will come very shortly."

Elita Weah, 41

Weah, a Liberian native who lived in Deventer in the Netherlands, was on her way to the U.S. for her stepfather's funeral when she was killed during the attack at Brussels Airport, her family confirmed on social media and to multiple media outlets. Weah's relatives also memorialized her Facebook page.

Weah's brother Oscar Weah posted a picture of her bundled up in a jacket and scarf at Brussels Airport at 8 a.m. local time on the day of the attacks. She was on her way to Boston to attend the funeral of her stepfather in Rhode Island, the New York Times reported.

Another brother, Randell Weah, told local Dutch media that the family got a call from Belgium police Friday confirming their sister had died.

Weah had seven siblings and a 13-year-old daughter. One of her relatives on Facebook wrote, "Lord what have to done to deserve such pain why was she taking (sic) away from us like that..."

Oscar Weah told the NY Times that he had been frustrated about the lack of information about the victims. "We've been waiting for information, but nobody has given us information," Weah said, more than 48 hours after the attack. "I've talked to the police, in Belgium, Brussels, and talked to some hospitals, nobody is giving me information. So where's my sister?"

Loubna Lafquiri

Lafquiri, a teacher at an Islamic school in Brussels, was killed during the explosion at at Maelbeek metro, another professor confirmed on Facebook.

Professor Rachid Haddach wrote that Lafquiri taught both his daughters physical education and had just spent Monday with one of them before she died in Tuesday's attack. He asked Allah to give strength to her husband, her three children, and her students, as her death was "very hard for everyone."

Lafquiri, who taught at La Vertue, was born in Brussels and her parents hailed from Morocco, the school's co-founder Mohamed Allaf told CNN before news of her death was confirmed.

Allaf said she was supposed to start her class at 9:45 a.m. that morning but never showed up.

"We started to worry, thought she was sick," Allaf said. "We called and called, but there was no answer on her phone."

Lafquiri was married with three sons. A member of the Brussels Parliament, Khadija Zamouri, tweeted Friday that her children waited a long time for her return but "mama Loubna Lafquiri is not coming back." ‏

"She was an exceptional woman," Allaf told CNN. "She represented the true values of Islam with generosity and caring."

Patricia Rizzo, 48

Rizzo, an Italian national who was working in Brussels, died in the attack at the metro station, the Italian Foreign Ministry confirmed Friday.

Her death was also confirmed by a relative on Facebook who had posted that she went missing after the attacks. Rizzo's cousin, Massimo Leonara, wrote, "Unfortunately Patricia is no longer among us. Pat...I miss you...we miss you."

The European Research Council Executive Agency (ERCEA), where Rizzo worked as an assistant to the head of human resources, posted a tribute to her, saying, "Words cannot express the sadness we are feeling right now."

The ERCEA said Rizzo, who had a son, "had a wonderful, smiling attitude and a zest for life" and that "she was always ready to help everyone and bring her enthusiasm and liveliness to others."

It added: "We will greatly miss this truly loveable and kind person."

Jennifer Scintu Waetzmann

Waetzmann, a coach for a youth handball club in Germany, was confirmed as dead by German officials, the Associated Press reported.

Waetzmann was on her way to New York for a belated honeymoon with her husband, Lars Waetzmann, when the explosion at Brussels Airport occurred, a relative told the AP. Her husband was reported to be injured in the attack.

German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said Friday that "my thoughts are with the young woman's relatives, as well as the relatives of the many who were injured or killed on March 22."

Andre Adam

Andre Adam, a former Belgian ambassador to the United States, was confirmed to be among the dead by his daughter in a Facebook post.

The former ambassador and his wife, Danielle, were in the departures area of the airport when the explosions occurred, their daughter Geneviève Adam said. Danielle Adam was injured and taken to a hospital in Flanders.

Geneviève Adam described her father as a "cultured and cheerful man," and an "esteemed diplomat" whose first posting was to Cuba in 1964. It was there, Geneviève wrote, that he met Danielle Adam, "the love of his life."

Andre Adam went on to assignments in Paris, London, and Los Angeles during the 1984 Olympic games. He was appointed ambassador for Belgium in the U.S. during the Clinton administration and ended his career after serving as Belgium's representative to the United Nations in 1997 and 1998.

"His death has wounded us all forever," Geneviève said. "All his life he had worked towards the peaceful resolution of conflict in the world."

Justin and Stephanie Shults

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Justin Shults and his wife, Stephanie, moved to Brussels in 2014, according to NBC News. Justin was originally from Tennessee and Stephanie from Kentucky.

The couple were dropping off Stephanie's mom at the airport when the bombs went off.

Earlier in the week Sutton tweeted that the U.S. State Department said Justin and Stephanie had been located but later said his family had been given "misinformation."

"We found out today that cowards took my brother's life," Justin Shults's brother, Levi Sutton, wrote on Twitter Saturday.

Stephanie had remained unaccounted for until Saturday evening, when her employer confirmed that she also died in the attacks.

"We are mourning the loss of our colleague and friend," a statement from Mars, Incorporated said. "Our hearts and thoughts are with their families, and with all those who are suffering during this terrible time."

It was Stephanie's job with the chocolate company that had taken the couple to Brussels, friends told The Tennessean. They were remembered as happy, successful, and excited about the opportunity to live and travel in Europe.

The last thing my brother ever told me is that he loved me....Go rest high on that mountain.

Sabrina Esmael Fazal, 24

Sabrina Esmael Fazal, 24, was killed in the bombing at Maelbeek train station, her boyfriend, Jonathan Selemani, confirmed to the New York Times.

A nursing student, Fazal was also mother to a 1-year-old son, Heyden. Her Facebook profile showed multiple photos of her smiling and doting over her young child.

She had previously worked as a correspondent for Congo Mikili, a website for members of the Congolese diaspora, which posted a video tribute to her on March 24.

In the video, Fazal can be seen reporting from a wedding in the Belgian town of Ottignies.

View this video on YouTube

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Frank Deng, 24

Deng Jingquan, also known as Frank Deng, was killed in the attack at the Brussels airport while preparing to travel to Slovenia, the Bejing News reported.

His death was confirmed by China's embassy in Belgium, which stated that his Chinese compatriots offered their profound condolences over the attack.

"We strongly condemn terrorist attacks, and express our deep condolences and sincere sympathies to the fellow Chinese citizen and his families," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei told reporters.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Deng was a native of Shenzhen and previously worked in Indonesia for a medical instruments company before founding his own internet company.

Shenzhen officials and his family members were traveling to Brussels after Deng's death, according to the China News Service.

"The world is so big and yet so small, tomorrow and accident, you never know which one arrives first," a colleague wrote on the social networking site Weibo. "The only Chinese citizen that died in Brussels terror attacks is my colleague Deng Jingquan, may you rest in peace! I condemn these terror attacks against citizens, you damn fight with armed troops."

Raghavendran Ganesan

Indian citizen Raghavendran Ganesan was killed in the attacks, the Indian Embassy in Belgium confirmed via Twitter on Monday.

"The Belgian authorities [have] identified Raghvendran as 1 of [the] victims [of the] barbarian terror attacks of March 22," embassy staff wrote.

The announcement came five days after his brother, Chandrasekar Ganesan, made an impassioned plea for information on his sibling via Facebook.

"They have also looked into many hospitals it seems..but still there is no word of him as of yet," he wrote on a Facebook status that was shared thousands of times. "We have also tried calling on his mobile....but simply not able to reach sometimes it appears to ring and sometimes it is busy."

As part of his morning commute, Ganesan regularly travelled through the Maelbeek metro station that was targeted by the terrorists, his brother said.

Ganesan worked in Belgium as an employee of Infosys, a consulting and technology company.

His remains were being flown to his native India from Amsterdam, embassy staff said.

Yves Cibuabua Ciyombo

Yves Cibuabua Ciyombo, 27, died in the Brussels attacks, his two cousins confirmed on Facebook.

"Suddenly driven out of the life but you stand engraved forever in our hearts," his cousin Manissa Pustjens wrote. "And there you will always live on."

His uncle had told CNN that Ciyombo had not been heard from since boarding the metro system prior to the attacks.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Ciyombo worked in Brussels in securities operations for energy company Eni.

"I am a communicative person and my strong desire is to work in the financial sector," he had written. "My strengths are that I am brave, passionate, and a hard working person."

He leaves behind a wife, Larissa, and two young daughters, Tiana and Timéa. "My lil angels" is how how described his children in his last Instagram post.

Mélanie Defize, 29

Classical music producer Mélanie Defize, 29, was killed at the Maelbeek subway station, her family confirmed.

"Mélanie, you were the embodiment of kindness, an easygoing nature, and spontaneity, and on Tuesday March 22 you were torn from us in the name of ignorance and hate," sister-in-law Séverine Peters wrote on Facebook. "Your brother and I have no words to describe the feelings that have overtaken us."

According to her LinkedIn page, Defize was a graduate of the Paris Descartes University and the University of Liège in Belgium. She had worked as a music producer at Cypres Records, a Belgian classical music and jazz producer, in Brussels since 2014.

"She leaves a void," her boss Cédric Hustinx told the classical music website Slipped Disc. "Her luminous enthusiasm will be with us much longer."

The website ForumOpera.com, where Defize once worked as a contributor, also paid tribute to her on Facebook, remembering her love of Jeff Buckley, Radiohead, and playing her violin.

"May she become a star that will guide us to still make, and always make, music," her friend Stephane Ginsburgh wrote on Facebook. "Goodbye, Melanie."

Johanna "My" Altegrim, 30

Swedish illustrator Johanna Altegrim, known to her loved ones as "My," was killed in the attack on Maelbeek station, her alma mater, Esa Saint-Luc, confirmed.

Her mother told the Swedish newspaper Expressen that Altegrim's body was identified by Belgian authorities on Saturday.

"My had been identified a few hours earlier at a military hospital in Brussels," her mother said. "This is what we know and need to know to mourn."

Born in the northern Swedish town of Umeå, Altegrim earned an illustration diploma from Esa Saint-Luc in Brussels. "All the school community joins the great sorrow of her family and relatives," the school wrote on Facebook.

On social media, Altegrim's friends were sharing her illustrations in remembrance of her, including birthday cards she designed for them.

Aline Bastin, 29

An employee of a European railway advocacy group, Aline Bastin was killed in the Maelbeek metro attack while on her way to work, her company, CER, confirmed in a statement.

"Aline left for a long one-way journey," CER executive director Libor Lochman said. "The CER team is deeply sad and would like to express their support to her family."

According to her LinkedIn profile, Bastin had worked as a press and communications manager for CER since 2012.

She had previously earned a bachelor's degree in communications from the Université de Liège, a master's from the Université Libre de Bruxelles, and an executive master's from the l'Institut des Hautes Études des Communications Sociales in Brussels.

She also once studied for a year in Madrid, Spain, as an exchange student.

On Facebook, friends and family shared a photo of beaming Bastin, wearing red sunglasses.

"Everything else pales in comparison to this immense pain," her aunt Marie Bastin wrote. "It's a nightmare for my brother and his wife, and their son, too.

"I am sad, disgusted, enraged."

Lauriane Visart, 27

Young Belgian lawyer Lauriane Visart was among those killed at the Maelbeek subway station, her father confirmed in an interview with Belgian television.

The 27-year-old was 2012 graduate of the Université Catholique de Louvain, having also spent a semester on exchange at the Université Laval in Quebec, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Since March 2013, she had worked at the Union Nationale des Mutualités Socialistes, a health insurance association.

Her former elementary school classmates in the city of Waterloo paid tribute to her on Facebook. "You left us, like so many others, much too soon," one woman wrote.

Her father, business reporter Michel Visart, said she passed through Maelbeek station every day.

"Lauriane had extremely strong values, which she defended with great distinction and determination, values such as justice, fairness, equality between the sexes, tolerance," he said.

"I have no anger, because first, Lauriane is gone, so now it is to the future that we must look. I say this in all sincerity. It's very hard, but I believe that life must continue."

This is a developing story. Check back for updates and follow BuzzFeed News on Twitter.

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