BRUSSELS — Princess Maria Laura and six expat students escaped unscathed on Thursday after the bus they was travelling in caught fire after a multi-vehicle collision.

The accident occurred on the Brussels ring road when the 17-year-old daughter of Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz was travelling home from school.

Maria Laura was taken home by palace officials and later taken for observation to hospital, newspaper ‘De Morgen’ reported.

The princess was travelling from the St John’s International School in Waterloo to her home when the bus was involved in a collision with three vehicles.

The bus rolled over, but the seven youths on board were able to exit the vehicle before it burst into flames. None of them were injured.

The drivers of all vehicles were slightly hurt in the accident, one of whom was treated at the scene. Two others were taken to hospital for treatment.

The St John’s school was tightlipped about the accident on Friday, saying that police inquiries into the incident continue.

“Everyone is safe and this is the most important thing,” a spokeswoman told Expatica.
However, she confirmed the six other students involved in the bus crash were expats. Their age or nationality is not yet known.

Princess Maria Laura is the second child of Princess Astrid the second child of King Albert II and Queen Paola.

Her father, Prince Lorenz, was born an Arch-Duke before gaining the title of Prince of Belgium upon his marriage to Astrid in 1984.

[Copyright Expatica News 2005]

Subject: Belgian news