At least six people have died and three others were injured after a bus caught fire in western Switzerland, with investigators saying the blaze may have been triggered by a passenger who reportedly set themselves on fire.
According to Reuters, the incident occurred on Tuesday in Kerzers, a town in the Fribourg canton located about 20 kilometres from the Swiss capital, Bern.
According to local police, the bus was travelling along a road in the town when it suddenly became engulfed in flames, causing panic among passengers who scrambled to escape the burning vehicle.
Fribourg police spokesperson Frédéric Papaux said early findings suggest the fire may have been deliberately started by a person on board.
“At this stage, we have elements suggesting a deliberate act by a person who was inside the bus,” Papaux told reporters.
Another police spokesperson, Christa Bielmann, said investigators were examining reports that a passenger poured fuel on themselves before igniting it.
Authorities, however, cautioned that it was still too early to determine the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
Officials said there was currently no indication the tragedy was linked to terrorism.
“We have no indication that suggests we might be dealing with a terrorist attack,” said Romain Collaud during an interview with the Swiss-French broadcaster RTS.
Emergency responders rushed to the scene as passengers fled the burning bus, many injured and in shock.
Three people were taken to hospital with injuries, while two others received medical attention at the scene but did not require hospitalization.
Images released after firefighters extinguished the flames showed the charred remains of the vehicle, identified as a yellow PostAuto public transport bus.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin expressed condolences to the victims’ families and said authorities were investigating the cause of the fire.
“It shocks and saddens me that once again people have lost their lives in a serious fire in Switzerland,” Parmelin said in a statement.
The tragedy comes just weeks after another deadly fire in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana, where dozens of people were killed and injured earlier this year.
Authorities say investigations into the Kerzers bus fire are ongoing.
