At least six people were killed and five others injured when a bus caught fire in western Switzerland on Tuesday evening, in what police said may have been a deliberate act.
The fire broke out on the main street of Kerzers, around 20 kilometres west of the Swiss capital Bern, at about 6:25pm. Police stated they had elements suggesting a deliberate act by a person who was inside the bus. However, police would not elaborate on why they believe the fire could have been deliberately started.
The fire killed at least six people and left three others hospitalised with severe injuries, with police investigating whether the blaze was set by someone on the bus. Ambulance and helicopter teams ferried three injured people with severe injuries to hospitals, while two others were treated on site.
Authorities said they could not immediately confirm reports that a person had doused themselves in gasoline. According to witnesses, one person deliberately used an incendiary device, explained police spokesman Frédéric Papaux.
The regional transport bus is operated by PostBus, which is affiliated with the national postal service. The bus had been travelling from Dudingen to Kerzers, and was just one stop from its destination before the fire erupted.
Videos circulating on social media showed flames several metres high bursting out from the windows, and black smoke rising into the sky. After rushing to the scene, rescue teams noted that the vehicle was totally engulfed in flames.
Fribourg police said a criminal investigation had been opened by public prosecutors to determine the exact circumstances of the tragedy. The identity of the injured has been established, though the identification of the dead is still pending.
It is the second major multiple-casualty fire in Switzerland in less than three months. The blaze comes just weeks after Switzerland experienced another tragedy, when a fire in Le Constellation bar in the ski-resort town of Crans-Montana broke out on New Year's Eve.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin said on X: I am shocked and saddened that people in Switzerland have once again lost their lives in a serious fire.