Credit: Sky News
At least four people have been killed after a train crashed into a school bus in Belgium.
Seven children and two adults were on board the minibus when it was hit by the train at a level crossing in Buggenhout, Flanders, around 15 miles outside Brussels.
Officials said at least four people on the bus had died.
A spokesman for De Lijn, the public transport company that owns the bus, said the children on board were pupils at a special educational needs school.
The scene of the accident in Buggenhout – Dirk Waem/Belga/Shutterstock
Belgium’s interior minister thanked emergency services ‘for their swift intervention on site’
Jean-Luc Crucke, the Belgian minister for mobility, told the RTL news outlet that two children, aged 12 and 15, the driver of the bus and a chaperone had died in the incident.
Five other students were in the minibus, two of whom were seriously injured.
An Berger, a spokesman for the federal police, told news outlet HLN that the bus had been on its way to the school.
Pictures from the scene showed the mangled vehicle turned onto its side at the side of the road. The train was not severely damaged.
The minibus was knocked onto its side after the collision at a level crossing in Buggenhout – Koen Baten/AP
Dozens of first responders attended the scene and set up red tents. Forensic experts in protective white suits and wearing gloves were also seen.
In a statement on social media, Bernard Quintin, the country’s interior minister, said: “With great dismay, I learnt of the tragic accident in Buggenhout, where a school bus was struck by a train.
“My thoughts go out to the victims and their loved ones. I wish the injured much strength.”
The Belgian newspaper Le Soir reported that the level crossing was closed at the time of the incident – Dirk Waem/BELGA/AFP via Getty
According to the Belgian newspaper Le Soir, the level crossing was closed at the time of the accident and the driver went through a red light.
Thomas Baeken, of Infrabel, which manages Belgian railway infrastructure, told the newspaper: “The barriers were lowered and the lights were red.
“The level crossing was about a kilometre from the station, so the train had already started to slow down, but the impact was still very significant. The [train] driver tried to apply the emergency brakes, but it was too late.
“In my opinion, this is one of the most serious level crossing accidents ever in Belgium.”
Geert Hermans, the mayor of Buggenhout, confirmed that the barriers and warning lights were working properly at the time of the incident. He said one person was resuscitated after the crash.
2705 Several dead after train hits school bus in Belgium
Frédéric Sacré, a spokesman for Infrabel, told the AFP news agency that the impact was “extremely violent” and that the train was travelling at 75 miles per hour. He said: “The minibus was thrown about 15 metres into a metal pylon.”
About 100 people on the train at the time of the accident were evacuated by emergency services and were unharmed, according to local reports.
Annelies Verlinden, the Belgian minister of justice, thanked the emergency services and said an investigation had been opened.
Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission’s president, said: “My deepest condolences go out to the victims’ families and their loved ones. Today, Europe grieves with Belgium.”