A school minibus in Buggenhout, northern Belgium, apparently decided that a lowered barrier at a level crossing was merely a suggestion, with tragic results. Two children, aged 12 and 15, and two adults were killed when a train slammed into the vehicle shortly after 08:00 local time.
The minibus was carrying seven boys, a 49-year-old driver, and a 27-year-old chaperone to a special education school when the driver made a left turn onto the crossing despite the barrier being down. Federal police spokeswoman An Berger confirmed the grim sequence: the bus had been travelling parallel to the railway before the driver performed what can only be described as a fatal miscalculation.
The train, travelling at about 90km/h, hit the minibus with spectacular violence, sending it into a pole and then the driveway of a nearby house. The other five children on board are in critical but stable condition in hospital. Nobody on the train was hurt, though one person required treatment for shock - presumably from witnessing the aftermath of a truly terrible decision.
Belgian mobility minister Jean-Luc Crucke confirmed reports that the barriers were indeed down at the time. Thomas Baeken, a spokesman for Belgian rail network Infrabel, told public broadcaster VRT that first indications from CCTV footage confirmed the lights were red and the barrier was down. Other sources who saw the footage told Belgian media the minibus could be seen striking the barrier before the crash. "How this accident could have happened, we don't know," Baeken said, which is diplomatic for "we have footage of it happening."
Flemish education minister Zuhal Demir called it "heartbreaking news" on social media, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen assured that "Today, Europe grieves with Belgium." The public prosecutor's office confirmed the train driver passed a breathalyser test, and a post mortem is being conducted on the minibus driver, who had no criminal convictions - suggesting this was less a pattern of bad behavior and more a single, catastrophic lapse in judgment.
King Philippe expressed gratitude to emergency services, and the mayor of Buggenhout, Geert Hermans, called for a minute of silence. It's the least you can do when two children, two adults, and any remaining faith in level crossing etiquette are gone.