Authorities confirmed that a train hit a school minivan at a level-crossing in Buggenhout, Belgium, on Tuesday, resulting in the deaths of four people, including two pupils with special needs.
The local prosecutor's office said the fatalities are a 12-year-old student, a 15-year-old student, the minivan driver aged 49 and a 27-year-old female chaperone. An investigation has been opened to establish the exact circumstances surrounding the collision.
East Flanders Provincial Deputy Kurt Moens described the day as a dramatic reversal in tone, saying to VRT NWS that "what could have been a beautiful spring morning suddenly turned into a pitch-black day." At the scene, observers found a white minivan lying on its side near the railway, its front end badly crushed.
Police spokesperson An Berger reported that the level-crossing's safety barriers were down when the accident occurred. Berger said it remained unclear how the minivan passed through the lowered barriers and into the train's path. She provided a vehicle movement description: the van had come from Kerkhofstraat, a road running parallel to the railway, then turned left toward Vierhuizen and crossed the tracks at a point that was closed at the time, when it was struck by an oncoming train.
The collision took place early on Tuesday near Buggenhout station, about 23 kilometres north of Brussels, while the minivan was transporting seven pupils to their school. Around 100 passengers were aboard the train; officials said none of them suffered major injuries.
A spokesperson for the state railway infrastructure operator, Infrabel, said the train driver had applied the emergency brakes but that "the shock was extremely violent." Local transport operator De Lijn issued a statement noting that the vehicle, which was operated through a sub-contractor, had exhibited no mechanical problems and that the driver was medically fit, fully trained and had a clean record.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen posted condolences on X, writing: "Today, Europe grieves with Belgium."
Belgium, with a dense railway network weaving through towns and villages, has seen multiple level-crossing accidents in recent years. According to information posted on Infrabel's website, since 2021 there have been 168 accidents at level-crossings resulting in 36 deaths. Those figures were cited by authorities to contextualize the broader safety record of crossings in the country.
What happened next
Investigators remain on the scene and have begun inquiries into how the minivan entered the closed crossing. Officials have described the technical condition of the vehicle and the driver's credentials, but the precise chain of events that led to the minivan moving through the lowered barriers has not yet been determined.
Emergency responders and rail personnel were involved in post-collision operations at the site, with local authorities coordinating the initial investigative steps.