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Belgium train crash: School bus hit at 120 km/h, thrown 15 meters

Fatal train collision in Belgium kills 4, including 2 children, as school bus is struck at level crossing near Brussels. Investigation underway.

Belgium train crash: School bus hit at 120 km/h, thrown 15 meters
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Belgian authorities are trying to shed light on the circumstances under which the tragedy occurred, resulting in four deaths, including two children aged 12 and 15, and five injured, following the collision between a school bus and train on Tuesday morning. Four people, including two teenagers, were killed today in Belgium when a train struck a school bus at a level crossing near the Flemish town of Buggenhout, RTL TV reported, citing Transport Minister Jean-Luc Crucke, while the news was also confirmed by Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prévot.

The other two victims are the school bus driver and the supervisor, though it has not yet been clarified whether this person was a woman or man, the minister said, adding that two other people were seriously injured. Federal police spokesperson Ann Bergé told broadcaster VRT that seven students, the driver and a supervisor were aboard the school bus. She also clarified that none of the train passengers were injured.

Belgium tragedy: How the accident occurred

The accident occurred at 08:08 in the morning at a level crossing near Buggenhout railway station, approximately 23 kilometers from Brussels.

According to Frederik Sacré, spokesperson for the Belgian railway network management company Infrabel, “the minibus was struck by a train that was about to stop at the next station”.

As Crucke stated, security cameras show that the protective barriers at the crossing were down.

The circumstances of the accident remain very unclear.

Sacré said the barrier was lowered and the traffic light was red. “We have footage that shows this”, he said.

The train that struck it was traveling at approximately 120 km/h and was about to start braking as it approached a station about one kilometer away.

The minibus was then “launched about 15 meters onto a metal pole that supported some of the level crossing cables”, the Infrabel spokesperson added.

Interior Minister Bernard Clerfayt wrote on X: “with deep sadness I learned of the tragic accident that occurred in Buggenhout. My thoughts are with the victims and their families. I wish the injured much courage”, he wrote on social network X.

The minister also thanked the emergency services “for their rapid response at the accident site”.

Belgian police representatives were not immediately available to comment.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she was “devastated”.

“My warm condolences to the families of the victims and their loved ones. Today, Europe mourns with Belgium”, she posted on X.

The toll for 2025

Belgium, where a dense railway network intersects passing through cities and villages, has a history of accidents at level crossings.

In 2025, five people were killed in such accidents, according to Infrabel’s website, the lowest number recorded since 2020.

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