Four individuals lost their lives in the crash between a train and a school bus at a level crossing in Belgium.
A collision involving a train and a school bus at a level crossing in the small Belgian town of Buggenhout on Tuesday morning resulted in four fatalities and left five children injured.
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«This incident stands as one of the most severe accidents at a level crossing in Belgium’s history,» stated Thomas Baeken, spokesperson for the Belgium Railway Infrastructure Manager Infrabel.
There were nine occupants in the minivan, consisting of seven children and two adults. The bus was en route to a school catering to children with special needs in Buggenhout.
«Tragically, two children, aged 12 and 15, lost their lives, along with the driver and the assistant,» Federal police spokesperson An Berger conveyed to Euronews.
She emphasized that the injured children were transported to hospital and their conditions are stable without life-threatening concerns.
Approximately one hundred passengers were on the train. All were evacuated safely, and no injuries were reported, according to Dimitri Temmerman, spokesperson for the National Railway Company of Belgium (SNCB).
‘The barriers were down’
Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
«When the collision occurred, the level crossing was already closed, indicating red lights and lowered barriers,» explained Thomas Baeken. «The reason the driver proceeded despite this remains unclear.»
The train, traveling from Bruges towards Mechelen, was moving at 90 kilometres per hour upon impact around 8:15 AM, Infrabel reported.
It had been decelerating as it neared Buggenhout train station, situated a few hundred meters ahead.
The train operator applied emergency brakes but was unable to prevent the collision.
«The crossing had been closed well before the vehicle entered. Nevertheless, the impact happened almost immediately due to the train’s proximity, leaving no time to stop,» Baeken added.
The bus was thrown into a pole before crashing in front of a nearby house a short distance away.
20 accidents last year
According to Infrabel, incidents at level crossings in Belgium are on the decline, with about 20 accidents reported in the previous year. The most recent incident at this specific crossing took place in 2007.
Belgium is home to nearly 1,600 level crossings, each fitted with different safety measures, dependent on location and traffic flows.
«Safety features at each crossing are determined by Infrabel in coordination with government authorities,» Baeken told Euronews.
«This particular crossing is equipped with two barriers, four signal lights, a sound alert, and a bell.»
Requirements for level crossing equipment vary throughout the EU.
«Each nation chooses its safety devices. In Belgium, two red lights accompanied by one white light are installed. For contrast, France uses only a single red light and lacks a white light,» Vincent Godeau, Infrabel’s security advisor, explained to Euronews.
Nonetheless, some traffic rules are standardized internationally. The 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic mandates that drivers must stop at red lights, and designates the St Andrew’s cross as the universal symbol for a railway level crossing lacking gates or barriers.