Update: Atomium reopening delayed until Tuesday

Update: The reopening of the Atomium has been further delayed, after it was forced to close last week due to a power cut caused by flooding.

The basement of the monument was flooded on Thursday night, with torrential rain and mud causing havoc with the technical installations. The entrance hall to the tourist attraction was also flooded.

Atomium spokeswoman Inge Van Eycken said at the weekend that the monument was due to reopen on Monday morning. However the reopening has now been pushed back to at least Tuesday.

She told De Standaard: "The Atomium will not open today. The electrical installation is not dry enough and could cause a short circuit."

In other Atomium news, Belgium's federal parliament has approved a new law making it impossible for artworks and monuments in public space to be protected by copyright laws.

Previously, printing or online postings of photographs of many sculptures and monuments – such as the Atomium or Jan Fabre’s pierced beetle on the campus of the University of Leuven – were illegal because the design was covered by copyright.

The new law also allows architecture and cartoon murals in public places to be free of copyright.