School bus hit by train in Belgium, several dead

A tragic accident occurred Tuesday morning in Buggenhout, Belgium, when a school bus carrying children was struck by a passenger train at a level crossing. Initial reports from Belgian media outlets Het Laatste Nieuws and Nieuwsblad indicate that multiple people on the bus were killed and injured.

The victims were all passengers on the bus, which was reportedly en route to a special needs school. According to Nieuwsblad, the bus was carrying seven children and two adults. The exact condition of the survivors has not been released by Belgian police, who stated that family members would be notified personally first.

Approximately one hundred passengers were on the train at the time of the collision. Firefighters evacuated the train passengers, none of whom sustained injuries. Media reports suggest the schoolchildren were in secondary school, aged between 12 and 18 years old.

The accident happened around 8:15 AM local time. Multiple emergency medical teams and ambulances were dispatched to the scene. Het Laatste Nieuws reported that the school bus was a minibus. Belgian railway operator Infrabel confirmed that the crossing's barriers were down and the lights were flashing red at the moment of impact.