A tragic incident unfolded Tuesday evening in the small Swiss town of Kerzers after a fire broke out on a passenger bus, leaving several people dead and others injured.
According to reports, at least six people were killed in the blaze, while five others were injured. Three of the injured were taken to the hospital for treatment following the incident.
Witnesses at the scene described a shocking and chaotic situation as flames quickly engulfed the center of the bus.
One eyewitness, an Albanian man who said he was covered in ash after the incident, told reporters that a man inside the bus appeared to have set himself on fire.
“A man set himself on fire inside,” the witness said. “He poured gasoline and set himself on fire.”
Other witnesses reportedly described similar scenes, though authorities have not yet confirmed those claims.
Images circulating from the scene showed the bus heavily damaged by the fire, with large flames consuming much of the vehicle. Later photographs appeared to show the bus largely hollowed out after the blaze was extinguished.
At a press conference following the tragedy, a spokeswoman for the Freiburg cantonal police confirmed that authorities had received information suggesting a man may have poured gasoline on himself before the fire began.
However, she emphasized that investigators have not yet confirmed that version of events.
Officials also declined to say whether the incident could be connected to terrorism, stating that it was too early in the investigation to draw conclusions.
The public prosecutor’s office has opened a formal investigation into the fire. Authorities indicated that Switzerland’s federal law enforcement agency may also become involved as investigators work to determine exactly what happened.
For now, the focus remains on identifying the victims, assisting those injured in the blaze, and piecing together the sequence of events that led to the devastating fire.
As the investigation continues, the tragedy has left the community of Kerzers mourning the lives lost in a shocking and heartbreaking incident.
