At least six people died and three were injured in a bus fire in Switzerland possibly caused by someone setting fire to themself.
Police said the bus became engulfed in flames on Tuesday evening on a road in Kerzers, a town of about 5,000 inhabitants in the western canton of Fribourg, about 20 km (12 miles) from the Swiss capital Bern.
“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 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 terrorism-related, she told a press conference.
“We have no indication that suggests we might be dealing with a terrorist attack,” Romain Collaud, a local politician in Fribourg, told the Swiss-French broadcaster RTS.
Three injured people were taken to hospital, police said. Two others caught in the blaze also received attention but did not need to be hospitalised.
Passengers had been seen escaping from the burning bus, panicked and injured, Papaux said. Video after the flames were extinguished showed the charred remains of the yellow vehicle.
Swiss media outlet 20 Minutes said it had seen a video taken at the scene in which an injured person said: “A man set himself on fire. He poured gasoline over himself and then lit himself.”
Mina Gendre was about to close up the shop she works in when she saw the bus, which had stopped unexpectedly across the road, had a small fire inside.
Within half a minute or so, it burst into flames, she said.
“It was so shocking,” said Gendre. “I saw someone come running out of the bus on fire.”
With smoke billowing out of the bus, Gendre shut the door of the shop to protect it as bystanders helped put out the fire on the person with a jacket, she said.
SHOCKED TOWN
Vanessa Liuzzi, 37, a local resident who left flowers at the scene, said the story doing the rounds was that someone had set fire to themselves.
“That’s what people are saying. And that things have got to the point where there are attacks or attempts on people’s lives is obviously really sad. No one thought that it could happen here in Kerzers,” she said.
“I’m shocked, I’m sad, I’m in despair,” she said.
Margrit Schneider, an 82-year-old local resident, fought back tears at the scene. “I’ve been here 65 years, something like this has never happened here before,” she said.
The identification of the six people who died could take several days, Collaud said, adding it was not known if the person suspected of starting the fire was among the victims.
Nirosan Vickneswaran, 37, was waiting anxiously for news of his cousin who was on the bus when it went up in flames.
“We don’t know if he’s injured or worse,” he said.
Police had taken DNA samples from the family and indicated it might take up to 48 hours to find out, he said.
“All we know is that somebody set fire to themselves,” he added.
A memorial was being erected in the village square, Swiss newspaper Tribune de Geneve reported.
The head of the bus company Postauto, Stefan Regli, said it was a terrible tragedy and extended his condolences.
“All Postauto and Swiss Post employees, like myself, are shocked and deeply saddened,” Regli said in a statement.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin offered his condolences and said the incident was being investigated.
“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, noting investigations were under way.
In January, Switzerland was rocked by a fire in a bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana that killed 41 people and injured 115.
“The wounds from Crans-Montana are still fresh, fuelling strong reactions today,” Collaud said. “These are clearly events no one wants to experience, or relive. Yet they seem part of everyday life now, happening more frequently in Switzerland and worldwide, which is unfortunate,” he told RTS.
Source: Reuters
--Agencies
