A high-speed passenger train collided with a minibus filled with children in Belgium on Tuesday, resulting in a devastating scene that claimed the lives of four individuals, including two children. The tragedy left five other children with critical injuries.
The tragic event unfolded during the busy morning commute near Buggenhout, located approximately 20 miles northwest of Brussels. Officials have labeled this incident as one of Belgium’s most severe rail accidents in recent memory.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the minibus drove past a closed railway crossing barrier just moments before being struck by the train, which was traveling at approximately 75 mph. Surveillance footage captured the minibus crossing the tracks prior to the collision.
The minibus carried a total of nine passengers. The casualties included the bus driver, an escort, and two children aged 12 and 15, as reported by the East Flanders public prosecutor’s office. The five surviving children were rushed to the hospital with severe injuries.
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Rescue teams responded to the scene of the train-minibus collision in Buggenhout, Belgium, on May 26, 2026. (Koen Baten/AP)
“What we do know is that the barrier was closed and the red light was on,” spokesperson Lisa De Wilde told reporters, adding that investigators are still working to determine the exact cause of the crash.
Emergency personnel work at a level crossing to move a van onto a flatbed truck after it collided with a train in Buggenhout, Belgium, on May 26, 2026. (Marius Burgelman/AP)
The driver appeared to have plowed through the crossing barrier, Federal Police spokesperson An Berger said. Belgian rail operator Infrabel said the crossing system was functioning properly at the time of the crash.
“The impact was extremely violent,” Infrabel spokesperson Frédéric Sacré told Belgian broadcaster RTBF, adding that the train operator had “no time to brake” before the collision.
A woman on a bike stands next to police tape and debris at a level crossing in Buggenhout, Belgium, one day after a train collided with a school van on May 27, 2026. (Virginia Mayo/AP)
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An Associated Press journalist at the scene reported that the minibus was overturned with its front end completely crushed, while the train itself suffered relatively minor damage.
Flower condolences are left at a level crossing in Buggenhout, Belgium, one day after a train collided with a school van on May 27, 2026. (Virginia Mayo/AP)
Officials said roughly 100 passengers were aboard the train, though no injuries were reported among them. Rail traffic in the area was suspended as emergency crews responded.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said he was “deeply moved by the horrific accident in Buggenhout,” offering condolences to the victims’ families in a social media post.
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