Fatal Level Crossing Tragedy: Four Dead in Belgian Bus-Train Crash

Belgium is mourning the loss of four lives after a school bus was struck by a train at a level crossing in the municipality of Buggenhout. The accident took place at approximately 8:08 a.m. when the train, travelling from the direction of the nearby station, collided with the vehicle carrying children with special needs. Flemish broadcaster VRT reported that the crossing barriers were down and lights were showing red, yet the collision still occurred. Among the dead are two teenage students, the bus driver and an accompanying supervisor. Two additional passengers remain in critical condition. Emergency crews established a triage centre at the fire station to treat roughly one hundred shaken train passengers and provide psychological support. Transport Minister Jean-Luc Cruck visited the scene and pledged a thorough review of level-crossing safety protocols across the country. Infrabel spokesman Thomas Baeken emphasised that the operator is assisting police inquiries while stressing that all technical evidence points to an unexplained breach of the safety barriers. Interior Minister Bernard Quintin thanked first responders and extended sympathy to grieving families, calling the incident a “heartbreaking tragedy.”