Plane with bodies of crash victims lands in Belgium: report

BRUSSELS: Two military planes landed near Brussels on Friday with the bodies of the 22 children and six adults who died in a Swiss tunnel bus crash this week, Belgian media reported.

The aircraft had taken off earlier from Sion, Switzerland, carrying the bodies of the 28 victims who died when their bus slammed into a tunnel wall late on Tuesday.

Eight of the 24 children injured in the horrific accident had returned home overnight, landing at Melsbroek military airport near Brussels before boarding buses and cars with relieved loved ones accompanied by a police escort.

Later, Belgium observed a minute of silence for the crash victims, followed by church bells ringing during a national day of mourning.

Flags flew at half-mast, broadcasters stayed quiet and drivers of buses, metros and trains switched off their engines for a minute after the bodies of the 28 victims landed near Brussels aboard two military planes. (AFP)