A coach driver was killed and a 13-year-old boy suffered a fractured skull when a vehicle carrying 34 British schoolchildren crashed in Belgium. The incident occurred on Sunday morning near Middelkerke in West Flanders, when the coach hit a motorway bridge and overturned.
The driver who died was named as James 'Geordie' Chance, a grandfather of five from Lisburn, County Antrim. He was not driving at the time; the assistant driver, Stephen Cardwell, was injured in the crash. The coach was travelling from Brentwood School in Essex to Cologne, Germany, on a language trip.
The injured boy, who sustained a fractured skull and a small brain bleed, remains in intensive care. One teacher also suffered a broken collarbone. A total of six teachers were on board. Three pupils and two teachers were taken to hospital; others escaped with minor injuries including broken bones and cuts.
Local authorities deployed 35 firefighters, 10 police officers, and ten ambulances to the scene. Twenty-five children have been sent home, with the remaining seven and staff expected to leave Belgium later on Sunday. The head teacher of Brentwood School, Ian Davies, confirmed that all children managed to walk off the coach.
The coach was owned by Richmond Coaches of Lisburn. The company confirmed it employed only Northern Irish drivers. The tour was organised by NST group, a company specialising in school trips. The Foreign Office said it was working with Belgian authorities to establish further details.
