Six die in Swiss bus fire after man thought to have set himself alight

"According to Fribourg canton's public prosecutor Raphael Bourquin, the man allegedly responsible for the fire was likely among those who died. A witness statement indicated that a man of Swiss origin boarded the bus carrying bags. At some point, he doused himself with a flammable substance and set himself alight."

"There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that this could be a terrorist act, he said, adding that the family of the man, who was from Bern canton and in his sixties, had recently reported his disappearance, and current evidence describes him as a marginalised and disturbed individual."

"According to the first findings of the police investigation, a person boarded the bus in the nearby town of Duedingen at around 5.45 pm CET and later set himself on fire in Kerzers at about 6.25 pm local time, causing the blaze to spread throughout the vehicle."

A bus fire in Kerzers, a town in western Switzerland's Fribourg canton, resulted in at least six deaths and five injuries on Tuesday. A man of Swiss origin, reportedly in his sixties from Bern canton, boarded the bus carrying bags and doused himself with a flammable substance before setting himself alight. The fire spread throughout the vehicle, killing victims aged between 17 and 65. Authorities confirmed the man likely died in the fire. Three injured passengers were hospitalized while two received treatment at the scene. Public prosecutor Raphael Bourquin stated there is no evidence suggesting terrorist involvement, characterizing the perpetrator as a marginalized and disturbed individual whose family had recently reported him missing.

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