Belgium train-school bus crash in Buggenhout kills 4, injures several
Synopsis
A Belgian Railways train ploughed into a school bus carrying seven special-needs children and two adults at a level crossing in Buggenhout on Monday morning — even as barriers were down and warning lights were red. Four are dead, two seriously injured, and investigators still cannot explain how the bus ended up on the tracks.
Key Takeaways
At least 4 people killed — including two teenagers , the bus driver, and the supervisor — in a train-school bus collision in Buggenhout, East Flanders on 26 May .
The bus carried 9 people : a driver, a supervisor, and 7 children attending a school for children with special needs.
CCTV footage confirmed the level crossing barriers were down and traffic lights were red at the time of impact.
The train driver applied the emergency brake but could not prevent the collision, according to Infrabel .
Two people are seriously injured; around 100 train passengers were evacuated to a local fire station.
Police and the public prosecutor's office have launched a formal investigation into the cause.
At least four people were killed and several others injured after a train collided with a school bus at a level crossing in Buggenhout, in Belgium's East Flanders province, on Monday, 26 May. The crash occurred at the Vierhuizen level crossing at approximately 8:08 am local time, roughly one kilometre from Buggenhout railway station, according to Belgian rail track operator Infrabel.
What Happened
The collision involved a Belgian Railways passenger train and a mini school bus carrying nine people — a driver, a supervisor, and seven children of secondary school age, most of whom attended a school for children with special needs. According to Federal Mobility Minister Jean-Luc Crucke, the dead included two teenagers, the bus driver, and the supervisor. Two people were reported seriously injured.
Around 100 passengers from the train were evacuated and are being looked after at the local fire station. One passenger was reported to be in shock and receiving treatment.
What CCTV Footage Revealed
Thomas Baeken of Infrabel said CCTV footage showed the level crossing barriers were down and the traffic lights were red at the time of impact. 'The collision took place at 8.08 am. Footage shows that the barriers were down and the traffic lights were red. We do not know how the accident could have happened. That is for the police and the public prosecutor's office to investigate,' Baeken said.
Baeken confirmed the train driver had applied the emergency brake but was unable to prevent the collision. 'The train was already braking. The train driver did apply the emergency brake, but was unable to avoid a collision,' he added. Infrabel stated it is fully cooperating with the investigation.
Government Response
Belgium's Interior Minister Bernard Quintin expressed condolences to the victims' families and praised the swift response of emergency services. 'With great dismay, I learned 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. Thank our emergency services for their swift response on site,' Quintin posted on X.
Investigation Under Way
Police and the public prosecutor's office have launched an investigation into how the bus came to cross the tracks despite the barriers being down and warning lights active. The circumstances remain unclear, and authorities have not yet assigned cause or fault. The incident has prompted fresh scrutiny of level crossing safety protocols across Belgium's rail network.
Point of View
Lights red, and the bus on the tracks anyway. That shifts the investigation from infrastructure failure toward human or mechanical error on the bus side — a harder question to answer and a more painful one given the victims were special-needs children. Belgium has a long-running debate about unmanned level crossings; this incident will intensify pressure on Infrabel and federal transport authorities to accelerate automated safety upgrades. The death of a supervisor whose role was precisely to protect those children adds a layer of institutional accountability that cannot be deflected onto the rail operator alone.
NationPress
11 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the Buggenhout train accident?
A Belgian Railways train collided with a school bus at the Vierhuizen level crossing in Buggenhout, East Flanders, on 26 May at around 8:08 am local time. Four people were killed — two teenagers, the bus driver, and the supervisor — and two others were seriously injured.
Who was on the school bus?
The bus carried nine people: a driver, a supervisor, and seven children of secondary school age who attended a school for children with special needs. According to police and Infrabel, all nine were aboard at the time of the crash.
Were the level crossing barriers working at the time of the crash?
Yes, according to Infrabel's Thomas Baeken, CCTV footage confirmed that the barriers were down and the traffic lights were showing red when the collision occurred. How the bus came to be on the tracks despite these active warnings remains under investigation.
What is being done to investigate the accident?
Belgian police and the public prosecutor's office have launched a formal investigation. Infrabel has said it is fully cooperating. The rail track operator has shared CCTV footage with authorities, but no cause or fault has been officially assigned yet.
How did Belgium's government respond to the crash?
Interior Minister Bernard Quintin posted his condolences on X, saying his thoughts were with the victims and their families, and thanked emergency services for their swift response. Federal Mobility Minister Jean-Luc Crucke confirmed the death toll and the serious injuries.
