Six dead as Swiss bus catches fire after man sets himself on fire | Police news

Raphael Bourkin, the public prosecutor of the canton of Friborg, said the man blamed for the fire had died.

At least six people have died after a bus caught fire in a small Swiss town after a man set himself on fire, authorities said.

The incident, which left five people injured, took place on Tuesday in the center of Kerzers in the western canton of Friborg, about 12 miles (20 km) from the capital Bern, police said.

The man said to be responsible for the fire is likely among the dead, according to Raphael Bourquin, the public prosecutor of the canton of Friborg.

“According to a witness statement, a man of Swiss origin was carrying bags on the bus. At some point, he set himself on fire with a flammable substance,” Borkin said at a news conference on Wednesday.

“There is no evidence to suggest this was an act of terrorism,” he said, adding that the family of the 60-year-old, from Berne Canton, had recently “reported him missing” and that “current evidence describes him as a marginalized and troubled individual”.

According to Swiss authorities, the victims of the fire ranged in age from 17 to 65.

Cantonal police said in a statement that three of the injured were admitted to hospital and two were treated at the scene. Two of those admitted to the hospital remained in the hospital on Wednesday, while one was discharged on Tuesday.

According to the first findings of the police investigation, a man boarded the bus in the nearby town of Düdingen at around 5.45 pm CET (16:45 GMT) and then set himself on fire in Kergers at around 6.25 pm local time, causing the fire to spread throughout the vehicle.

Police said initial inquiries and witness testimony indicated that the incident was a “spontaneous act without ideological motivation”.

Swiss President Guy Parmelin wrote on X on Tuesday night that the fire was “distressing and saddening”.

“The circumstances are being investigated. To the relatives of the dead from Kerzers, I express my condolences. And I think of the injured and the rescue workers,” he said.

Zenel Teke, 61, who was working at his food stall opposite the bus when it caught fire, said when he went to get a fire extinguisher to put out the fire, it was too hot to get close.

“It’s very sad to see people burn in front of your eyes. It could be my child, it could be yours,” he told Reuters news agency.

Officials explained that investigators are reviewing social media footage and CCTV to understand the motives behind the man’s actions, and interviews are expected to take place.

A hotline has also been opened for witnesses to come forward, and public prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation, Friborg police said.

It was the second time this year that a fire has claimed multiple lives, after a fire at a bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana killed 41 people and injured 115 in January.