Overview
- A regional train struck a small van-style schoolbus near Buggenhout on Tuesday morning, May 26, killing four people including the driver and two children and leaving several pupils seriously injured.
- Infrabel and surveillance video show the crossing barriers were lowered and the signal was red when the bus entered the crossing, and federal police say the vehicle broke through the barrier and was still moving when it was hit.
- Around 100 passengers on the train were evacuated and treated at the scene, and the train driver began an emergency brake about one kilometre from Buggenhout station but could not avoid the collision.
- Belgian federal police and the public prosecutor have opened a criminal investigation and deployed forensic experts to reconstruct the sequence of events while authorities prioritize hospital care, family notification and psychosocial support.
- The van carried seven pupils and two adults for a special-education school, and the crash raises renewed scrutiny of level-crossing safety on Belgium’s dense rail network as investigators examine driver actions, vehicle condition and crossing systems.