A collision at a level crossing between a passenger train and a school minibus from a special needs school has resulted in the deaths of four people, two of them minors, this morning at around 8:15 CEST in the Belgian town of Buggenhout, 30 kilometres north of Brussels. There were around a hundred passengers on the train, none of whom were injured, but in the case of the minibus, two schoolchildren, the driver and a teacher travelling with them have died.
Investigations are still underway to establish the causes of the tragic accident. According to reports, the barriers were down and the level crossing signal was red. The train driver had activated the emergency brakes, but it was too late. Belgium's Justice Minister, Annelies Verlinden, has expressed her sadness and stated that the public prosecutor's office is 'closely monitoring' the situation to launch an investigation into the accident, the causes of which are unknown at this stage.