Train crashes into school minibus in Belgium, with unconfirmed reports of fatalities

Brussels — A train crashed into a school minibus in Belgium on Tuesday, leaving at least several “victims” in an unconfirmed condition, the country’s interior minister said. Two sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the French news agency AFP that several people on the bus were killed in the collision.

The Reuters news agency also quoted a local source as saying several people were killed, but there was no immediate confirmation from police or other authorities.

“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,” minister Bernard Quintin wrote on X.

Photos from the scene showed the minibus laying on its side near the railway road crossing, with serious damage seen to its front end. 

“The impact was extremely violent,” said Frederic Sacre, a spokesman for the Belgian rail network operator, describing the toll as “dramatic.”

“It happened at around 8:08 am when a minibus was struck by a train that was due to stop at the next station, which was about a kilometer away,” he said.