At least six people were killed after a bus caught fire late on Tuesday in the Swiss town of Kerzers, police said. Investigators suspect the blaze may have been triggered by a deliberate act by someone inside the vehicle.
The bus was on a road in Kerzers in the canton of Fribourg, about 20 km from the Swiss capital Bern, when it was suddenly engulfed in flames. Emergency teams rushed to the spot after the fire broke out.
"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 also examining reports that a person may have poured fuel on themselves before the fire.
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.
Police said at least six people died in the fire. Three injured passengers were taken to hospital with severe injuries, while two others were treated at the scene.
Passengers were seen running out of the burning bus, many of them panicked and injured, Papaux said. He added that no other vehicle was involved. Images from Swiss media showed the vehicle badly damaged after the fire was put out.
"After rushing to the scene, rescue teams noted that the vehicle was totally engulfed in flames," the regional government said in a statement. The bus is operated by PostBus, a regional transport service linked to the national postal system.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin expressed condolences and said the incident was under investigation. "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, a fire at a bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans Montana killed 41 people and injured 115. Police said the investigation into the Kerzers bus fire was continuing.