Fatal coach accident in Antwerp province, driver tests positive for drugs

Two people were killed and 18 others injured, five of them seriously, in a coach accident on the E19 motorway on Sunday, report local media. The accident occurred near the town of Schoten, north of Antwerp.

The bus belonging to French transport company BlaBlaCar apparently deviated from its path before overturning around midday.

The driver was arrested after testing positive for drugs, the public prosecutor told a press conference.

"The bus veered off the road and first collided with a concrete crash barrier on the right-hand side of the motorway. The bus then swerved to the left and hit another concrete crash barrier before turning over,” said Lieselotte Claessens of the prosecutor’s office, according to VRT.

An emergency plan was immediately launched by the municipality of Schoten to coordinate emergency services attending the scene.

Travelling from Paris to Amsterdam, the coach was carrying 30 passengers, the majority of whom were French. There were also Spanish, Canadian, Mexican, Croatian and American nationals on board.

The 35-year-old French driver underwent a saliva test that proved positive for narcotics. He was arrested for questioning and his driver's license was revoked, added Claessens.

Belgium’s federal interior minister Annelies Verlinden said on Twitter: “When a serious accident happens so close to your home, it affects you all the more.” She thanked the emergency services for "their prompt and dedicated assistance".

Photo: © Belga/Jonas Roosens