Image copyright EPA Image caption The cause of the collision at a protected level crossing in Oss was unclear

Four children from a Dutch day-care centre, two of them sisters, have died in a collision involving a train and an electric cart driven by a supervisor.

The children were being taken to local schools in the cart when the accident happened on a level crossing in the southern town of Oss, west of Nijmegen.

A fifth child and a woman were critically injured in the crash.

The woman on the back of the cart had just dropped off a child at one school before setting off for another.

Two of the children who died were four years old, and the others were aged six and eight, police said.

Of the five children involved in the tragedy, three were sisters and two of them died. The surviving sister, aged 11, was being treated in hospital along with the 32-year-old woman.

Mayor Wobine Buijs-Glaudemans told a news conference that everyone was affected by what had happened near Oss-West station, and her thoughts went out to those families caught up in the accident. "There are no words to describe what they're going through," she said.

What led to crash?

The level crossing has barriers for cycle paths as well as cars, but the cart carrying the five children is thought to have gone under the barrier on a bike path before it was hit.

The woman driving the cart was heard by one witness shouting that the brakes were not working. Others said 15 cars had been waiting at the level crossing when the cart had gone past without slowing down.

Children have for years been taken to school by cargo bike in the Netherlands, and electric carts known as Stints have become increasingly popular with some 3,500 in use across the country.

Described as a cross between a segway and a cargo bike, anyone can use a cart over the age of 16 after taking a short course. The cart has a maximum speed of 17km/h (11 mph).

Image copyright Stint Urban Mobility Image caption Stint carts have become a very popular means of transporting young children in the Netherlands (file pic)

Edwin Renzen, who co-founded the Stint Urban Mobility company which makes the cart, told public broadcaster NOS that the accident was every parent's worst nightmare and he was intending to visit the scene.

Several childcare groups said they would suspend their use of Stint carts until it was clear what had gone wrong.

'Unacceptable' casualties on level crossings

The tragedy came as a shock for residents in Oss, where a help centre was set up.

An average of 11 people are killed on Dutch level crossings every year and the Dutch Safety Board (OVV) released a report in July saying the number of casualties was "unacceptable" in "the only country in Europe with both a high volume of train traffic and a large number of level crossings".

The OVV was responding to three accidents in 2016 and 2017 in which two people had died and 18 were hurt. Most accidents had happened on manned level crossings, it said, calling for action to prevent people going over the crossings when barriers were down.

A reporter from Dutch RTL News tweeted a picture of a young boy laying flowers at the scene of the accident, with the simple message: Oss.

Rail officials on Thursday spoke of an "ink-black day" and infrastructure secretary Stientje van Veldhoven said she had a "knot" in her stomach. "From the bottom of my heart, all the best to everyone involved."

Prime Minister Mark Rutte tweeted that he was deeply moved by the "horrific accident".</s>Four children have died in the Netherlands after a crash involving an electric bike and a train, police said.

The crash happened at a railway crossing in the southern town of Oss at around 8:20am this morning.

The train is said to have hit an electric cargo bike which was being used to transport children from a daycare centre to local primary schools.

Two other people - a child and a woman - were critically injured in the crash.

Police said investigations are now underway into what caused the incident.

DutchNews.nl reports that the crossing in question has a designated bike path and is manned.

Local mayor Wobine Buijs-Glaudemans said she was shocked by the news, saying thoughts were with "all families, the school, the daycare centre and all other people involved".

Pier Eringa, CEO of the ProRail company, called it a 'black day', adding: "There are no words for this."</s>Amsterdam: Four children died when a train crashed into a cargo bike at a rail crossing in the Netherlands’ Oss city on Thursday, officials said. The children were reportedly on their way to school when the collision took place. Another child and a woman were severely injured, Efe news reported. “What a horrible news from Oss this morning,” Dutch Infrastructure Minister Stientje v Veldhoven said on Twitter. “Knot in my stomach with this message. From the bottom of my heart — a lot of strength to everyone involved,” he tweeted.</s>Four children have been killed after a train struck a cargo bike being ridden by a woman who went over a level crossing.

The electrically powered bicycle, widely used by Dutch parents to transport their children, was taking them from a pre-school centre to school when the accident occurred.

It happened in the southern town of Oss, about 62 miles southeast of Amsterdam.

There were several witnesses, including other school-age children, police said.

Two people were critically injured - a child and the woman operating the vehicle.

"We have informed the families involved of this terrible news," police said in a statement.

"We are investigating how this could have happened."

ProRail, the company responsible for rail infrastructure in the Netherlands, said the cause of the collision is under investigation.

The company's chief executive, Pier Eringa, said initial investigations suggested that the barriers at the crossing were working correctly at the time of the accident.

"There are no words to describe this," Mr Eringa said.

"Our thoughts are with the families who lost their children in the terrible accident in Oss," a visibly upset Dutch Queen Maxima told reporters during a visit to the northern region of Friesland.

Oss mayor Wobine Buijs-Glaudemans offered condolences to "the families, the school, the day care centre and everybody else involved."</s>THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- Four children were killed and two other people were critically injured Thursday after a train slammed into an electric cargo bike in the Netherlands. Police said the accident happened on a railway line in the town of Oss, 62 miles southeast of Amsterdam, at a rail crossing close to the town's railway station. The crossing has warning lights, and red and white barriers to keep pedestrians off tracks when trains pass.

Police said the electric bike belonged to a children's day care center and was taking children to school when the collision happened. Investigations were underway to establish the cause.

The two critically injured victims were taken to a local hospital.

Oss mayor Wobine Buijs-Glaudemans said local authorities "stand with the families, the school, the day care center and everybody else involved."

Cargo bikes, which have a large wooden or plastic box mounted to the frame in front of the rider, were formerly used for transporting goods but are now very popular among Dutch parents for carrying young children.

ProRail, the company responsible for rail infrastructure in the Netherlands, said in a statement that the cause of the collision is under investigation.

"This is a very dark day, terrible for the next of kin and those involved," said ProRail CEO Pier Eringa. "There are no words to describe this."</s>Four children were killed and two people seriously injured in collision between train and cargo bike, popularly used by Dutch parents to transport their children, the Dutch police said.

The accident took place in the eastern city of Oss, near the German border around 110 kilometres (65 miles) southeast of the capital Amsterdam.

A police statement said a "very serious accident" had taken place with "gravely wounded and possibly multiple fatalities."

"It is really a terrible accident," said a spokesman for the national railways service NS.

Police confirmed that the train from the eastern town of Nijmegen to nearby Den Bosch collided with the three-wheeler bike which was carrying children.

"Four children were killed in the accident. Emergency services are still at the scene," police in Brabant province said on Twitter.

A woman and another child were seriously injured.

Cargo bikes — bikes with a large box on the front used for carrying children or shopping — are a common sight in the Netherlands, where cycling is a way of life.</s>Four children died and another child and a woman were severely injured when a train crashed into a cargo bike on a rail crossing in Oss, a city in the southern Netherlands, officials said Thursday.

The children were reportedly on their way to school when the collision took place.</s>THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Dutch police say four people killed, two seriously injured in collision between train and cargo bike carrying children.</s>THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS (AFP) - Four children from a Dutch daycare centre were killed on Thursday (Sept 20) when a train hit their electric cargo bike at a level crossing, police said.

A fifth child and a woman were also critically injured in the accident in Oss, a town near the German border around 110km south-east of the capital Amsterdam.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte tweeted his condolences from an EU summit in Salzburg, Austria, over a tragedy that has shaken the cycling-mad country.

"Deeply affected by the incredibly sad news from Oss where four young children have died in a horrible accident. I wish everyone involved much strength with this heavy loss," Rutte said.

Cargo bikes - bikes with a large box on the front used for carrying children or shopping - are a common sight in the Netherlands, where cycling is a way of life. Police confirmed that the train collided with the three-wheeler bike on a crossing as it was taking children from the daycare centre to drop them off at local schools.

"Four children were killed in the accident. Emergency services are still at the scene," police in Brabant province said on Twitter.

"The accident involved an electric cargo bike from a nursery that was headed for a school in Oss," they added.

"The families concerned have been informed by us of the awful news."

The ANP news agency reported that the children were between four and 11 years old, although there was no immediate official confirmation of their ages.

ANP, quoting people who know the woman who drove the bike, said she had just dropped some children at one school and was heading to another.

It was the sixth such accident at the crossing since 1975, it added.

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands said that she and King Willem-Alexander "have no words".

"Our thoughts go out to all families who have lost their children because of a terrible accident in Oss," the queen said during a separate royal visit. Police said they were speaking to several witnesses, including children, to see "how this accident could happen."

The train was headed from the eastern town of Nijmegen to nearby Den Bosch, said the national railways service NS.

"It is really a terrible accident," said an NS spokesman.

Dutch nurseries and after-school clubs often use larger electric versions of cargo bikes to ferry children around towns.

The Netherlands has more than 22 million bikes in a country of 17 million, and its flat landscape is home to one of the world's most extensive cycling networks.

In 2017, 206 cyclists were killed on Dutch roads, according to the Dutch Institute for Road Safety Research.</s>Four children from a Dutch daycare centre were killed on Thursday when a train hit their electric cargo bike at a level crossing, police said on Thursday.

A fifth child and a woman were also critically injured in the accident in Oss, a town near the German border around 110 kilometres (65 miles) southeast of the capital Amsterdam.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte tweeted his condolences from an EU summit in Salzburg, Austria, over a tragedy that has shaken the cycling-mad country.

"Deeply affected by the incredibly sad news from Oss where four young children have died in a horrible accident. I wish everyone involved much strength with this heavy loss," Rutte said.

Cargo bikes - bikes with a large box on the front used for carrying children or shopping - are a common sight in the Netherlands, where cycling is a way of life.
Four children from a day-care centre are killed in a collision involving a train and an electric cargo bike in Oss, Netherlands. Another child and a woman are injured.