Tragic Train-School Bus Collision in Belgium Kills Four, Injures Five

A "black day" dawned over the usually quiet Belgian town of Buggenhout after a devastating collision between a train and a school bus claimed the lives of four individuals. The tragic accident occurred at a railway crossing on line 53, which connects Leuven with Schellebelle.

The school bus was carrying children aged 13 to 15 to a special education campus. Among the four fatalities were two children, aged 12 and 15, along with a 27-year-old chaperone and the 49-year-old bus driver. Five other children on board suffered serious injuries and were transported to the hospital. Passengers on the train were unharmed.

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Ik hoorde een enorme knal en een knarsend geluid

Witnesses described hearing a "huge bang and a grinding sound" as the train, after colliding with the bus, came to a standstill. Emergency services, including volunteer firefighters from a nearby station, were quickly on the scene. The impact left debris scattered across the tracks and the roadside. The mayor of Buggenhout, Geert Hermans, described the event as a "tragic disaster" and a "black page" for the municipality of about fifteen thousand inhabitants, urging for "serenity and respect" for those affected.

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mijn hart brak