Four people, including two children, were killed on Tuesday morning when a passenger train struck a school minibus at a level crossing in Buggenhout, a town in East Flanders about 23 kilometres north of Brussels. The victims were identified as two pupils aged 12 and 15, the 49-year-old bus driver, and a 27-year-old chaperone, according to Belgium’s public prosecutor’s office. Five other children on the bus were severely injured but are now in a stable condition. The minibus was carrying seven pupils with special needs to their school, Richtpunt campus, when the collision occurred at 8:08 a.m. local time.
Belgian officials said security camera footage showed the crossing’s barriers were down and the red warning lights were operating when the crash happened. Transport Minister Jean-Luc Crucke and Infrabel, the state railway infrastructure operator, confirmed that the safety barriers had come down before the train arrived. Despite this, police said the bus driver “broke through” the barrier. The train, which was traveling at about 120 km/h (75 mph) and due to stop at Buggenhout station a kilometre away, applied the emergency brake but could not stop in time. Frederic Sacre, an Infrabel spokesman, described the impact as “extremely violent,” adding that the minibus was thrown about 15 metres into a metal pylon and landed on its side with the front badly crumpled.
Images from the scene showed the white minibus lying on its side near the track, surrounded by emergency tents. None of the train’s passengers were hurt, though one was treated for shock. The accident is believed to be Belgium’s deadliest railway crash since the 2010 Buizingen disaster, when two passenger trains collided, killing 19 people.
Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prévot confirmed the four fatalities and expressed condolences, while Prime Minister Bart De Wever said he was “deeply moved by the horrific accident” and that his thoughts were with the affected families. Interior Minister Bernard Quintin and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also offered condolences, with von der Leyen stating “Today, Europe grieves with Belgium”. Mayor Geert Hermans said the community was in shock and the disaster had taken a “particularly heavy” toll.
Police and the public prosecutor’s office have opened an investigation, appointing a traffic expert and deploying a forensic laboratory to determine how the minibus entered the crossing despite the barriers being lowered. Belgium’s dense railway network has a history of level-crossing accidents; since 2021, 36 people have died in 168 such incidents. Five people died in level-crossing accidents in 2025, the lowest number since 2020.
