Author of iconic Brussels bombing photos awarded Georgia’s Order of Honour

The Georgian journalist who took several iconic photos of the Brussels airport bombing victims has been awarded a top state honour today.

Georgia’s President Giorgi Margvelashvili presented the Order of Honour to Ketevan Kardava, a journalist of Georgia’s Public Broadcaster, for her "productive and highly professional journalistic work” in the immediate aftermath of the Brussels airport bombings in mid-March.

Photo source: Ketevan Kardava/Facebook

Margvelashvili said in those horrific moments following the explosions, Kardava showed her exemplary "professional commitment to quickly spreading information” about the terror attack at the Zaventem Airport in Belgium’s capital.

Ketevan Kardava recalls what he witnessed at Brussels airport during the attack. Photo source: Ketevan Kardava/Facebook

And the President listens to the story. Photo source: Ketevan Kardava/Facebook

Kardava, Brussels-based reporter, was departing for Geneva when she witnessed the two blasts at the airport on March 22. The explosions were shortly followed by other blasts at the city’s metro line.

In these attacks 32 victims and three suicide bombers were killed and over 300 people were injured.

The world learned about the horrific terrorist attack on the Brussels airport via Kardava’s iconic pictures, which she took in the immediate aftermath of the blasts and uploaded to the internet. Her photos showed the scale of the damage, the state of victims and the enormity of the disaster.

Several days ago Kardava returned back to Georgia for the first time after the terror attacks in Brussels. She was welcomed by fellow journalists and was praised for her commitment to the profession.