Train Kills 4 in Belgium School Minivan Crash at Closed Crossing
Updated
Updated · Reuters · May 26
Train Kills 4 in Belgium School Minivan Crash at Closed Crossing
15 articles · Updated · Reuters · May 26
Buggenhout prosecutors said four people died when a train struck a school minivan carrying seven pupils near the town's station — two special-needs students, the 49-year-old driver and a 27-year-old chaperone.
Police said the van entered the level crossing while the safety barriers were already down, and investigators are trying to determine how it got onto the tracks.
About 100 train passengers escaped major injury, though Infrabel said the driver applied emergency brakes and the impact was "extremely violent."
The crash, about 23 km north of Brussels, renewed focus on Belgium's level-crossing safety record: Infrabel says 168 such accidents have killed 36 people since 2021.
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