Authorities are investigating whether a bus fire in Kerzers, a town about 15 miles west of Switzerland’s capital Bern, was deliberately set, killing at least six people.
Frédéric Papaux, a police spokesperson for Fribourg canton, said the blaze on Tuesday evening may have been caused by an unspecified “voluntary act.”
Five additional people were injured in the fire, which locals compared to a tragic New Year’s Eve blaze in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana that claimed 41 young lives.
A bus fire in Kerzers, Switzerland, killed at least six people on Tuesday evening, authorities confirmed.
Christa Bielmann, spokesperson for the Fribourg police, told Swiss broadcaster SRF that “there is information circulating that a person poured flammable liquid over themselves on the bus, which may have caused the fire. This is still under investigation.”
Swiss President Guy Parmelin expressed his condolences on X, saying, “It shocks and saddens me that once again people have lost their lives in a serious fire in Switzerland. The circumstances are being investigated. I offer my condolences to the families of those who died in Kerzers, and my thoughts are with the injured and the rescue workers.”
Martial Pugin, head of communications for Fribourg cantonal police, told RTS on Wednesday that there were no indications the incident was a terror attack.
The regional bus, operated by PostBus—a subsidiary of the Swiss national postal service—was engulfed in flames, with images from the scene shared by local media showing the severity of the fire.
In a statement, PostBus said: “We are deeply moved by this tragic news. Our thoughts are with the victims, the injured, and all their families.”
Police believe the bus fire, which also injured five people, may have been deliberately set.
“Upon arrival, rescue teams found the vehicle completely engulfed in flames,” the regional government said.
Three people with serious injuries were airlifted to hospitals by ambulance and helicopter teams, while two others received treatment at the scene, authorities added.
Authorities do not currently believe the incident was terror-related.
Frédéric Papaux confirmed that at least six people were killed in the fire. Police added that identifying the victims could take several days.
The burned-out bus was removed overnight, and traffic in the area returned to normal by Wednesday morning.
