What Happened on the N290
It was just after 12:30 in the afternoon when a passenger vehicle struck a cycling group made up of 14 children and two adults on the N290, a road running through the small Zeeland town of Vogelwarde, within the municipality of Hulst. The children were students from a primary school based in the neighboring municipality of Terneuzen, out on what should have been a routine school camp activity.

Two children and one adult died at the scene.

A third child, rushed to the hospital in critical condition, later succumbed to injuries. Three more children remain hospitalized with serious injuries. The remaining students and the second adult were taken into care, with emotional and psychological support being arranged for them and their families as quickly as possible.



A Community in Deep Shock
Acting Mayor Franc Weerwind of Terneuzen described the incident as a "heartbreaking tragedy," saying the news had shaken people to their core in what he called a deeply close-knit community. Shortly after the accident, a gathering was held, bringing together the parents and siblings of those involved. Weerwind also made time to speak directly with the children from the cycling group who were physically unharmed but emotionally shattered by what they had witnessed.



On Friday morning, the mayor planned to visit the school that organized the camp, where he was set to sit .