A train collided with a school minibus carrying seven children in northern Belgium on Tuesday, killing several persons, according to officials.
According to two sources, numerous people died after the bus collided at a level crossing in the village of Buggenhout.
Belgian media revealed photographs of a seriously damaged minibus lying on its side on a road near a railway line, with rescue workers setting up tents all around.
A police spokeswoman told the reporters that the minibus was carrying seven children, a supervisor, and a driver.
The Belgian police refused to confirm the casualty toll from the incident.
“The impact was extremely violent,” spokesman Frederic Sacre stated, describing the toll as “dramatic.”
“It happened at around 8:08 am (0608 GMT) when a minibus was struck by a train that was due to stop at the next station, which was about a kilometer away,” he said.
Speaking on the accident, Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin wrote on X that “my thoughts go out to the victims and their loved ones.”
“I wish the injured much strength,” he wrote.
