A 12-year-old pupil at Menorah Grammar School in Edgware has been killed in a car crash on a Belgian motorway two weeks before he was due to celebrate his bar mitzvah with his twin brother.

His parents and three siblings have all reportedly sustained injuries, one of them serious, but their lives are not in danger.

The fatal incident, which occurred on the E40 in Veurne (West Flanders) according to Belgian media, happened on Thursday morning at around 1am and resulted in the car overturning and ending up on its roof.

According to news site 7sur7, the boy was thrown from the vehicle and died on the spot.

The family were reportedly returning from a simchah in Antwerp last night when the accident occurred. 

Initial findings by investigators have found that poor weather conditions appeared to have been the cause of the accident.

Emergency services were alerted to the scene following the vehicle’s automatic emergency call system. Several ambulances, the federal highway police and the fire brigade were among the services who rushed to the scene and the family was taken to hospital,

The exit towards Veurne was closed for several hours following the accident.

The West Flanders Public Prosecutor’s Office has appointed a traffic expert to investigate the exact circumstances of the incident.

A crisis mental health professional was called to Menorah Grammar School early this morning to help the boy’s classmates process the news.

The professional told the JC that the boys reacted “in different ways” to the news. They had their questions answered, were given space to process their feelings and were provided with guidance on available support now and in the future.

They were also, according to an email sent around to parents of the school this morning, taken to the park to help them recover from the initial shock.

The professional said the boys were given the option to call home following a morning assembly where they were given the news.

He added that Menorah Grammar School is doing “an amazing job in terms of caring for the pupils” in the aftermath and is “really trying to be there” for the boys.

In an email sent around to parents of the school around 11am this morning, the school said the unfortunate accident had resulted “in the Petiroh [passing] of a very dear talmid [student] of the school”.

“Whilst it has been difficult for everyone, it is extremely difficult for his classmates in Year 8 to process. One of the Rebbeim in the school, Rabbi Wiesenfeld, together with another member of Chai Lifeline Crisis Intervention, have been speaking to the boys of Year 8. Year 8 are now spending time with their Rebbeim in the park, to help them recover from the initial shock and to regain their equilibrium.

“At the moment, our expectation is that the boys will remain in school until the end of the day. If this changes, we will inform you as soon as possible. Regarding the Levaya [funeral], we will be in touch when we know more.”

Menorah Grammar School has been approached for comment.