Bus Fire in Switzerland Kills Six, Deliberate Act Suspected

At least six people were killed and three injured after a bus caught fire late Tuesday in western Switzerland, in an incident police say may have been caused by a deliberate act.

The blaze engulfed the bus on a road in the town of Kerzers, in the canton of Fribourg, about 20 km (12 miles) from the Swiss capital Bern, authorities said.

Investigators are examining reports that a passenger may have poured fuel on themselves before igniting it, according to local police. Frederic Papaux, a spokesperson for Fribourg police, said preliminary findings point to intentional actions by someone on board.

“At this stage, we have elements suggesting a deliberate act by a person who was inside the bus,” Papaux told reporters.

Emergency services transported three injured passengers to hospital. Authorities said no other vehicles were involved in the incident.

Witnesses saw passengers fleeing the burning bus in panic as flames rapidly spread through the vehicle. Video footage recorded after firefighters extinguished the blaze showed the bus reduced to charred remains.

Christa Bielmann, another Fribourg police spokesperson, said investigators were still determining the circumstances surrounding the fire. She added that it was too early to say whether the incident was related to terrorism.

Swiss President Guy Parmelin expressed condolences to the victims and their families and confirmed that authorities were investigating the cause of the tragedy.

“It shocks and saddens me that once again people have lost their lives in a serious fire in Switzerland,” Parmelin said in a statement posted on X.

The fatal incident comes weeks after another major fire in Switzerland. In January, a blaze at a bar in the ski resort of Crans Montana killed 41 people and injured 115.