Employees from the US embassy and nearby ministry buildings in Brussels were allowed to return to their workplace late Wednesday afternoon. A bomb squad had determined that a reportedly suspicious looking vehicle parked nearby didn't contain a bomb, according to a ministry spokesperson.

"In the end they found nothing unusual, but given the numerous visible wires and the fact that the car was very close to the U.S. embassy and several Belgian ministries, we didn't want to take any risks," ministry spokesperson Ilse Van de Keere told reporters.

Following the announcement, officials began taking steps to return the city back to normal.

"The bomb disposal operation is now over, and the police are making the final checks needed to reopen the roads," she said.

kms/jr (dpa, Reuters, AFP)