Overview
- A train hit a school minivan during the morning commute on Tuesday, killing four people and injuring others at a level crossing in Buggenhout in East Flanders.
- Nine people were aboard the vehicle: seven students with special educational needs, an accompanying adult, and the driver, with at least two students among the dead.
- Early camera footage and witness accounts show the minivan struck a lowered barrier seconds before impact, and Infrabel and investigators say the crossing light was red at the time.
- The federal public prosecutor has opened a reconstruction inquiry and investigators are reviewing video, witness statements, and technical data while the train driver tested negative for alcohol and drugs.
- The crash has deeply affected the local school and community and is likely to prompt scrutiny of level crossing safety, procedures for subcontracted student transport, and emergency support for families.