A bus fire in western Switzerland on Tuesday evening has left at least six people dead and five injured, with police treating the incident as a deliberate act. The blaze occurred in the main street of Kerzers, a small town in Fribourg canton, approximately 20 kilometres west of the capital Berne, at around 6.25pm local time.
Fribourg cantonal police sergeant Frederic Papaux confirmed the death toll and said three of the injured were in a serious condition. “The police are currently treating the fire as a man-made incident, and even a deliberate act,” he stated, adding that no other vehicles were involved. Investigators are looking into reports that a person may have poured fuel on themselves, according to police spokesperson Christa Bielmann, who said it was too early to determine if the incident was terror-related.
Social media footage showed flames several metres high bursting from the bus windows, with black smoke billowing into the sky. Passengers were seen escaping, panicked and injured. Emergency services arrived to find the vehicle completely engulfed in flames, and firefighters conducted rescue and extinguishing operations. A security perimeter was established, and three injured people were taken to hospital, while two others were treated at the scene.
The bus was a PostBus, a distinctive yellow vehicle used for public transport and postal services in rural Switzerland, carrying around half a million passengers daily, including schoolchildren. PostBus expressed deep sadness and said a psychological support team would be available to staff. The Swiss president, Guy Parmelin, said he was “shocked and saddened” by the tragedy, offering condolences to the families of the deceased and thoughts for the injured and emergency services.
This is the second major multiple-casualty fire in Switzerland in less than three months, following a New Year's Day blaze at a bar in Crans-Montana that killed 41 people. A criminal investigation has been opened by public prosecutors, and police have appealed to the public to avoid the area as recovery and security operations continue.
