British schoolboy, 12, dies in Belgium car crash as twin brother among five other family members injured
10 January 2025, 17:54
A 12-year-old British schoolboy has died and five other members of his family injured after the BMW they were travelling in crashed in Belgium during "poor weather".
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
The accident, which happened on the E40 highway at around 1am on Wednesday, saw the vehicle flip onto a grass verge between the road and an exit ramp, close to Veurne, West of Flanders, local media reports.
The family of six were travelling in the BMW X5 towards the French boarder when the car flipped, with images showing the vehicle resting on its roof.
There were no witnesses to the accident, according to local media, with authorities only alerted to the crash after the vehicle’s automatic emergency alert system was triggered.
The boy was reportedly thrown clear of the vehicle during the crash, with five others - including his twin brother, sustaining minor injuries and transported to hospital.
In a statement, police said: “There were a total of six occupants in the car. One of them, a 12-year-old boy with British nationality, was thrown out of the vehicle and died of his injuries.
”Emergency services resuscitated the boy, one of four children in the car, at the scene before transferring him to a nearby hospital, where he died.
Local authorities are yet to name the family involved in the crash.
The prosecutor’s office said: “The first findings show that the poor weather conditions and aquaplaning on the road, in combination with an unadjusted speed, may be the causes of the accident.
“No other vehicles were involved in the accident. The investigation is continuing.”
The boy's death comes just two weeks before he was due to celebrate his bar mitzvah alongside his twin brother, the Jewish Chronicle reported.
Local media reported that adverse whether may have played a role in the accident.
Read more: Miracle of Malibu: Lone house pictured still standing as LA fires leave $50bn trail of destruction
Shortly after the crash, a tour bus with British number plates was seen to swerve, before grazing a police car responding to the accident.
No one on the bus sustained any injuries, according to reports.
In a statement posted to X, volunteers from ZAKA - Israel’s non-governmental rescue and recovery organisation - described how their volunteers responded to the crash.
"Volunteers from ZAKA's International Unit responded to a tragic car accident in which a 13-year-old boy was killed while returning with his parents from Belgium to England.
"Another family member was moderately injured. The ZAKA International Unit team, led by volunteer Shmulik Markowitz, worked alongside local authorities and police to handle the recovery process."
Haim Weingarten, ZAKA's Deputy Director of Operations, said: "This is a devastating and painful event. Just last month, the boy who was killed celebrated his first tefillin ceremony here in Israel, and was due to celebrate his Bar Mitzvah with his twin brother in the coming days."
"The volunteers of ZAKA's International Unit work day and night to assist any Jew and Israeli wherever they may be," Weingarten continued.
"Yishar Koach to the team led by Shmulik Markowitz, who is handling this sensitive situation with dedication and supporting the family. We pray they will know no more sorrow."
