Brussels, May 26 (IANS): At least four people have been killed and several others injured after a train crashed into a mini school bus at a level crossing in Vierhuizen, Buggenhout, in Belgium’s East Flanders at around 8:15 am local time on Monday, local media reported. The accident involved a Belgian railways train and a mini school bus carrying nine people in total – a driver, an attendant and seven children of secondary school age, mostly attending a school for children with special needs. According to Federal Mobility Minister Jean-Luc Crucke, two teenagers, the bus driver and the supervisor were among those who died, with two people also reported to have sustained serious injuries. Around 100 train passengers were evacuated following the collision and are being looked after at the local fire station, with one person receiving treatment for shock. Emergency services rushed to the site of the incident shortly after the accident was reported, with police and rescue personnel working swiftly to attend to the injured and secure the area around the level crossing where the tragic collision took place.
CCTV footage reviewed by Belgian rail track operator Infrabel revealed that the level crossing barriers were down and the traffic lights were red at the time of the collision, leaving authorities deeply puzzled over how the accident could have occurred despite the safety mechanisms being in place. Infrabel spokesperson Thomas Baeken confirmed that the train was already braking when it approached the crossing, and that the train driver had applied the emergency brake but was ultimately unable to avoid the collision, with the accident occurring approximately one kilometre from Buggenhout railway station. Baeken further stated that the collision took place at 8:08 am and that the rail track operator is fully cooperating with the police and the public prosecutor’s office to determine the exact circumstances of the crash, adding that the investigation would seek to establish how the bus came to be on the tracks despite the barriers being down and the warning lights active. Belgium’s Interior Minister Bernard Quintin expressed deep dismay over the tragedy, extending sympathies to the victims and their loved ones and thanking emergency services for their swift response, posting on X that he wished the injured much strength during what he described as a tragic accident that had left him shocked upon learning of the news.