Investigators looking into reports that a person had poured fuel on themselves
At least six people died in a bus fire late on Tuesday in a small town in western Switzerland PHOTO: REUTERS
At least six people died in a bus fire late on Tuesday in a small town in western Switzerland, in what police said may have been caused by a deliberate act.
Police said the bus became engulfed in flames on a road in Kerzers, a town in the canton of Fribourg, about 20 km (12 miles) from the Swiss capital, Bern, after media reports that a person on the bus had set fire to themselves.
“At this stage, we have elements suggesting a deliberate act by a person who was inside the bus,” said Frederic Papaux, a spokesperson for Fribourg police.
Investigators were looking into reports that a person had poured fuel on themselves, said Christa Bielmann, another local police spokesperson. It was too early to say whether the incident was terror-related, she told a press conference.
Three injured people were taken to the hospital, police said.
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Passengers were seen escaping from the burning bus, panicked and injured, Papaux said, adding that no other vehicle was involved.
Video after the flames were extinguished showed the charred remains of the vehicle.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin offered his condolences and said the incident was being investigated.
“It shocks and saddens me that once again people have lost their lives in a serious fire in Switzerland,” he said in a statement on X.
In January, Switzerland was rocked by a fire in a bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans Montana that killed 41 people and injured 115.
