Latest news Belgium: Train crashes into school bus - four people dead
Four people have died in a collision between a school bus and a train in Belgium. The incident in the Flemish town of Buggenhout between Brussels and Antwerp killed the 49-year-old bus driver, two teenagers aged 12 and 15 and a 27-year-old accompanying person, according to a press conference held by the crisis team and the municipality. Five other children were initially seriously injured and taken to hospital in a critical condition; their condition is currently stable.
26.05.2026, 13:28
SDA
According to the information provided, the barrier at the level crossing was closed and the red signal was illuminated. The exact cause of the accident still needs to be investigated further. As the Belgian broadcaster VRT reported, the train was still one kilometer away from the station in Buggenhout. "The train was already slowing down. The train driver applied the emergency brake, but was unable to prevent the collision."
Head of government expresses concern
Mayor Geert Hermans said at the press conference: "We from the crisis team and the local community are shocked and deeply saddened by what happened."
According to the information provided, the bus was on its way to the school with special educational needs at a quarter past eight in the morning. Children and young people with behavioral and emotional disorders as well as autism spectrum disorders are taught here.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever also commented: "I am deeply shocked by the terrible accident in Buggenhout. My thoughts are with the families affected," he wrote on X.
Belgium's Interior Minister Bernard Quintin also expressed his sympathy. "My thoughts are with the victims and their families. I wish the injured a lot of strength", he wrote on the X platform. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote: "Today, Europe mourns with Belgium."
