Belgium School Bus Crash Kills Four Near Buggenhout
A school bus carrying children to a special educational needs school collided with a train near Buggenhout in northern Belgium just after 8am on Tuesday, killing four people and injuring five children. The dead were two children aged 15 and 12, their 27-year-old chaperone and the 49-year-old driver of the van.
Buggenhout level crossing crash
The crash happened at a level crossing near Buggenhout in Flanders when the minibus tried to cross despite lowered barriers and a flashing red light. The train driver applied the emergency brakes but could not avoid the collision.
The five injured children were taken to hospital with serious injuries and were said to be in stable condition. The train had been carrying about 100 people, none of whom were injured, although one passenger was in a state of shock and the passengers were evacuated to a local fire station.
Belgium transport response
Jean-Luc Crucke, Belgium’s transport minister, said to RTL TV: “My first thoughts are with the victims, but also those people who are injured and their families”. Bart De Wever wrote on X that he was “deeply moved by the horrific accident in Buggenhout. My thoughts go out to the affected families.”
Kurt Moens, who is responsible for the school in East Flanders, said: “What could have been a beautiful spring morning suddenly turned into a pitch-black day” and added: “The accident in Buggenhout affects us all very deeply. I express my deepest condolences to the families of the victims and wish the injured much strength.”
Infrabel crossing safety
An Infrabel spokesperson told the Flemish public broadcaster VRT: “We do not know how the accident could have happened. That is for the police and the public prosecutor’s office to investigate.” Belgium recorded five deaths and nine serious injuries in level-crossing accidents in 2024, a year in which Infrabel reported 30 such crashes.
Over the last 21 years, Infrabel has removed 450 level crossings from the network, and about 1,600 remain. The track the train used ran from Bruges to Buggenhout, and the children were on their way to a special educational needs school in the town when the collision happened.
European Commission condolences
Ursula von der Leyen said in condolences referenced in the article: “Today, Europe grieve”. The next step in the case lies with the police and the public prosecutor’s office, which are handling the investigation into how the bus crossed the level crossing.
