Six people died and three were injured in a bus fire in a small Swiss town believed to have been caused by a man on board who set fire to himself, authorities said on Wednesday.
Swiss investigators said they saw no evidence that the man, who one official described as “disturbed” and was likely among the dead, had intended to commit any kind of terrorist attack.
The bus was engulfed in flames on Tuesday evening on a road near the centre of Kerzers, a town of about 5,000 inhabitants in the western canton of Fribourg, about 20 km (12 miles) from the Swiss capital Bern, police said.
“As for the motive, there is absolutely no evidence to suggest that this could be a terrorist act,” said Raphael Bourquin, attorney general of the canton of Fribourg.
A criminal investigation has been opened into homicide, arson, and endangering the lives of others, Bourquin said.
The victims were aged between 17 and 65, the authorities said, without giving details on nationalities.
Suspect had been reported missing
The suspect, a man of Swiss origin who has not been identified, is believed to have boarded the bus with bags before dousing himself in flammable material and starting the blaze, officials said. He was understood to be in his 60s and had been reported missing by his family, they added.
Investigators were going through CCTV footage as well as social media posts to understand the man’s motives, and further searches and interviews would take place, officials said.
Three injured people were taken to hospital.
Passengers were seen escaping from the burning bus, panicked and injured. Video after the flames were extinguished showed the charred remains of the yellow vehicle.
Zeynel Teke, 61, was working at his food stall opposite when flames erupted from the bus and it stopped in front of him.
Two or three people came out of the vehicle, and Teke ran to help, using his hand to put out flames on one woman. He went to get his fire extinguisher but the flames were too hot to get close enough to douse them.
“It’s so sad to see people burning in front of your eyes. It could be my child, it could be yours,” he said.
Witnesses describe horror
Mina Gendre was about to close up the shop she works in when she saw the bus was ablaze inside. “It was so shocking,” said Gendre. “I saw someone come running out of the bus on fire.”
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.
One video of the fire circulating among Kerzers’ residents showed what appeared to be a body in flames moving on the ground next to the burning bus.
Nirosan Vickneswaran, 37, was waiting anxiously for news of his cousin who was on the bus.
“We don’t know if he’s injured or worse,” he said. “All we know is that somebody set fire to themself.”
A memorial was quickly erected next to the site of the blaze.
The head of the bus company Postauto, Stefan Regli, said it was a terrible tragedy and extended his condolences.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin offered 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 on X.
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.
