Several people have been killed after a school bus collided with a train in the Belgian town of Buggenhout on Tuesday.
Two teenagers, the bus driver and an accompanying adult have died, while two passengers have been severely injured, Belgian Transport Minister Jean-Luc Crucke told RTL Info.
The cause of the accident, which happened roughly 20 kilometres north of Brussels, is unknown.
According to rail infrastructure company Infrabel, the level crossing was closed at the time of the crash.
“Surveillance footage shows that the traffic lights were red, and the barrier was down. The train driver also applied the emergency brakes, but the collision could not be avoided," Infrabel spokesman Thomas Baeken was quoted as saying by news agency Belga.
Belgian Justice Minister Annelies Verlinden said that words failed to describe the accident.
"My heartfelt sympathy goes out to all the victims, the children, their families, and everyone affected by this tragedy today," she wrote on X.
