Three children and one adult died on Thursday in the rural Netherlands town of Vogelwaarde, Zeeland, after a vehicle reportedly driven by a 19-year-old man veered off the road and crashed into a elementary school cycling group.
Dutch outlets explained that the tragic accident occurred around 12:30 p.m. (local time) when a vehicle veered off course at the provincial road between Vogelwaarde and Terhole. The victims were part of a broader group — fourteen kids and two adult supervisors — organized by the De Warande Elementary School in Axel, and were on the way to a school camp along a bike path.
Two of the children and the adult, an employee of the school, reportedly died on the spot. The third minor victim had been transported to a hospital in Rotterdam via a trauma helicopter but died shortly after wards. According to the Dutch radio station WFM96, there are still three children seriously injured and fighting for their lives at a local hospital.
Dutch police officers have not publicly disclosed the identities of the victims. The suspect, only identified by local outlets as an 19 year-old man from the nearby municipality of Hulst, remains in police custody. A police spokesperson reportedly told the emergency services-focused outlet HVZeeland that “the exact role of the suspect is still under investigation.” The police are reportedly not wiling to disclose much about the man’s arrest to local outlets as of Thursday night, as investigations into the accident continue.
Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten lamented the tragic incident in a brief Dutch-language statement published on social media.
“The horrific and shocking news from Zeeland is overshadowing everything today. What should be a highlight for every child and every elementary school; the school camp, has ended in a nightmare,” the text read.
“My thoughts are with the victims, the injured, and their loved ones. I wish them all the strength they need. The Netherlands stands with them,” the text continued.
“A horrific accident today in Zeeland. What should have been a wonderful school camp ends in tragedy. My thoughts are with the bereaved, family, friends, and classmates of the victims and the staff of the school,” The Netherlands’ State Secretary for Education and Emancipation Judith Tielen wrote on social media.
De Telegraaf reports that Acting Mayor of Terneuzen Franc Weerwind will visit the elementary school that organized the school camp on Friday morning to discuss “this great sorrow.” A faculty meeting will also take place on Friday morning that, according to Weerwind, to discuss “how we can support everyone.”
Speaking with De Telegraaf, school board member Sjoerd Sanderse described the tragedy as a “a dark day for all of us.”
“The scale of the disaster is becoming increasingly clear,” the board member said. “The school camp is the highlight of your time in elementary school. Children never forget that. We will never forget this either, but because of what has now happened. We are going to look out for each other and the children.”
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