Train Collides With School Bus at Buggenhout Level Crossing

Overview

• A regional passenger train struck a small schoolbus at the Kerkhofstraat level crossing near Buggenhout, Belgium, and media reports cite multiple deaths though officials have not released victim details.
• Seven schoolchildren and two adults were on the bus when the collision occurred, according to eyewitness and media reporting.
• Infrabel, the national rail infrastructure operator, told reporters that surveillance footage shows the crossing gates were down and the warning lights were red at the time of impact.
• Reports indicate the train had already been braking and the driver applied the emergency brake before the collision, but the exact sequence that led the bus onto the closed crossing remains under investigation.
• Railway police, federal police, the public prosecutor and forensic teams are examining the sealed scene and investigators may prompt a wider review of level crossing safety and monitoring procedures in Belgium.