Six die in Swiss bus blaze after reports that person set fire to themselves

A bus fire in Switzerland has resulted in the deaths of at least six people and left three others injured. This incident may have been triggered by an individual who set themselves on fire. Authorities reported that the bus was engulfed in flames on Tuesday evening while traveling on a road in Kerzers, a town with approximately 5,000 residents in the Fribourg canton, located around 20 km (12 miles) from Bern, the Swiss capital. Frederic Papaux, a spokesperson for the Fribourg police, indicated, “At this stage, we have elements suggesting a deliberate act by a person who was inside the bus.” Investigators are looking into claims that an individual doused themselves in fuel, as noted by another police spokesperson, Christa Bielmann. She added that it was too soon to determine if the event was linked to terrorism. “We have no indication that suggests we might be dealing with a terrorist attack,” stated Romain Collaud, a local politician in Fribourg, during an interview with the Swiss-French broadcaster RTS. The police mentioned that three injured individuals were admitted to the hospital, while two others affected by the fire received medical attention but did not require hospitalization. Eyewitnesses reported seeing passengers fleeing the burning bus in a panic, some with injuries. After the fire was put out, footage showed the remains of the charred yellow bus. Swiss media outlet 20 Minutes shared a video from the scene where an injured individual claimed, “A man set himself on fire. He poured gasoline over himself and then lit himself.” Mina Gendre, who was about to close her shop, noticed the bus had unexpectedly stopped across the street and had a small fire inside.