Train collides with school bus at Belgian crossing, killing 4, including 2 children, and injuring 5 others
Four people, including two children ages 12 and 15, were killed, and five children were seriously injured after a train struck a school bus at a railway crossing in the northern Belgian town of Buggenhout during Tuesday morning rush hour.
Authorities said the crossing barriers were down at the time of the collision. Federal police reported that the minibus was carrying seven children, mostly high school-aged students, along with an attendant, and was traveling to a school for students with special educational needs when the crash occurred shortly after 8 a.m. local time.
Investigators said the bus had been traveling along a road parallel to the railway before turning left onto the crossing after the barriers had already closed. Emergency responders confirmed that the injured children were taken to the hospital in stable condition, while all passengers and crew aboard the train were unharmed.
Images from the scene showed the minibus overturned on the driveway of a nearby home, with witnesses describing a violent impact that sent the vehicle airborne. Authorities have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Officials expressed condolences to the victims’ families, calling the incident devastating and offering support to those affected. European leaders also extended sympathy, saying the broader region was mourning alongside Belgium.
Transport safety data shows that rail crossing accidents remain a recurring issue in the country, with more than 150 incidents reported between 2020 and 2025. The crash comes just days after a separate rail-related bus tragedy in Thailand that killed multiple people when a train struck a stranded vehicle at a crossing.
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