A train collided with a school minibus at a level crossing in Buggenhout, a small town in the Flemish region of northern Belgium, killing four people and leaving five children critically injured. The crash occurred shortly after 08:00 local time on Tuesday when the minibus, carrying seven boys enrolled in a special education school, a 27-year-old chaperone, and a 49-year-old driver, turned left onto the crossing from a parallel street while the barriers were already down and warning lights were red. A passenger train travelling at approximately 90 km/h struck the vehicle; the driver had applied the emergency brake but was unable to stop in time. The force of the impact threw the minibus into the driveway of a nearby house after it first struck a barrier pole.

The four people killed were the bus driver, the chaperone, and two teenage boys aged 12 and 15, both from Bornem, a town about 12 kilometres north of Buggenhout. The five surviving children were taken to hospital in a critical but stable condition. The roughly 100 passengers aboard the train were unharmed, though one person was treated for shock. The minibus was operating under subcontract for De Lijn, the regional public transport company, serving Richtpunt Campus Buggenhout, a secondary school for pupils with special educational needs.

Investigators from the public prosecutor's office of Oost-Vlaanderen, along with forensic experts and traffic specialists, moved quickly to determine how the driver came to cross the lowered barrier. CCTV footage reviewed by rail infrastructure operator Infrabel confirmed that the lights were red and the barriers were down at the time of the collision, with local media reporting that the footage shows the minibus striking the barrier before the train hit. The train driver passed a breathalyser and saliva test, and a post-mortem examination was ordered on the bus driver, who had no criminal record. Rail services between Dendermonde and Londerzeel were suspended during the investigation, with replacement buses put in place.

The crash drew an outpouring of condolences from Belgian and European officials. Prime Minister Bart De Wever described himself as "deeply affected" by the accident, while Flemish education minister Zuhal Demir, who visited the school, called the news "heartbreaking." European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said "today, Europe grieves with Belgium." King Philippe, travelling abroad at the time, contacted the governor of Oost-Vlaanderen by phone to convey his and Queen Mathilde's sincere sympathies. The mayor of Buggenhout, Geert Hermans, called for a minute of silence and said the community had been "incredibly affected." A book of condolences was opened at the town hall, at the school, and at the provincial government building in Ghent.