Four dead, including two teenagers, after train hits school minibus in Buggenhout, Belgium

A school commute turned deadly in Buggenhout on Tuesday morning when a train struck a school minibus, killing four people, including two teenagers. Belgium’s transport minister, Laurette A., said the victims were two teenagers, the bus driver and another adult, as emergency crews rushed to the crash site and authorities began accounting for those onboard. ^[2]

Belgian interior minister Annelies Verlinden and the country’s justice minister publicly offered condolences to the victims’ families and praised emergency services for responding swiftly as the scale of the loss became clear. ^[2]

BBC News reported that the dead included two schoolchildren and two adults, underscoring the toll on both young passengers and the adults responsible for their care and transport. ^[1]

The collision is the latest chapter in an unfolding story that has focused attention on the dangers posed when trains and road vehicles intersect; on May 26, 2026, several people were killed after a train collided with a school bus in Belgium. ^[2]

Officials have not released further details about how the train and minibus came to be on the same crossing at the same time, nor have they outlined next investigative steps. ^[1]