The incident unfolds in western Switzerland
A regional bus caught fire on the main street of Kerzers, a small town about 20 kilometers west of Bern, on Tuesday evening at approximately 6:25 p.m. The blaze killed at least six people and injured five others, three of them seriously. When emergency services arrived, the vehicle was fully engulfed in flames, forcing firefighters to extinguish the fire before rescue teams could assess the damage.
Three injured passengers were transported to hospitals, while two others received treatment at the scene. Video footage circulating on social media showed flames several meters high bursting from the bus windows and thick black smoke rising into the sky. Panicked passengers were seen fleeing the burning vehicle as first responders worked to contain the disaster.
Police suspect deliberate ignition
Frederic Papaux, a spokesperson for Fribourg canton police, told reporters at a news conference that investigators had identified early indicators pointing toward human involvement. "At this stage, we have elements suggesting a deliberate act by a person who was inside the bus," Papaux said. He noted that no other vehicle was involved in the incident.
Authorities said they could not immediately confirm reports that someone had doused themselves in gasoline before the fire started. Police declined to elaborate on their reasoning or to speculate about potential motives, including whether the act was suicide or terrorism. A criminal investigation was opened by public prosecutors to determine the exact circumstances of the tragedy.
Police appealed for witnesses to come forward with information about the fire. Papaux did not disclose how many people were aboard the bus when the fire broke out, noting only that people were fleeing the vehicle when first responders arrived.
The bus and its daily passengers
The bus was a distinctive yellow PostBus, operated by the national postal service and affiliated company. The vehicle had reportedly traveled from the Düdingen municipality. PostBus serves remote areas across Switzerland and carries approximately 500,000 people daily, including schoolchildren.
National response and context
Swiss President Guy Parmelin expressed shock at the tragedy in a statement, saying "I am shocked and saddened that people in Switzerland have once again lost their lives in a serious fire." He offered condolences to the families of those killed and acknowledged the injured and emergency services responding to the disaster.
The Kerzers fire marks the second major deadly fire in Switzerland this year. On January 1, a blaze broke out at Le Constellation bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana, killing at least 40 people and injuring over 100 others. Investigators determined that fire started when sparklers on Champagne bottles ignited the bar's ceiling.
