In Belgium, a train collided with a school bus; there are fatalities
A fatal accident occurred on Tuesday morning in the Belgian town of Bougenhaut (East Flanders province) when a train collided with a school bus at a railroad crossing.
This was reported by RTBF.
According to preliminary data, several people on the bus were killed in the incident. The exact number of victims is currently being determined. The train passengers were not injured.
Railway operator Infrabel stated that the barriers were down and the traffic lights were red when the bus crossed the crossing. The reasons why the vehicle ended up on the tracks are being investigated.
“A further investigation will determine how this accident could have occurred,” the company noted.
According to Infrabel, the train was traveling on the Bruges–Bougenhaut route and was already approaching the station, which is why it had slowed down. Despite this, the collision was “extremely violent,” and the train driver applied the emergency brakes but was unable to avoid the impact.
According to local media, the school bus was carrying the driver, seven students, and a chaperone.
Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quentin expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and thanked the emergency services for their prompt response.
“My thoughts are with the victims and their families. I wish the injured a speedy recovery. I thank our emergency services for their prompt response at the scene,” he wrote.
Investigators and emergency services are working at the scene of the tragedy to determine the exact circumstances of the incident.
Earlier in Poland, near the town of Rogozno in the Greater Poland Voivodeship, a passenger train collided with a truck at a railroad crossing, resulting in one death and 18 injuries.
A fatal accident occurred on the railway in Lviv, where a passenger train struck a young man; his injuries were so severe that he died before medical personnel arrived. The incident occurred suddenly and in the darkness of night, when there was virtually no chance of avoiding the tragedy.
