A bus fire in Kerzers, Switzerland killed six people and injured five others on Tuesday evening after a man reportedly set himself ablaze aboard a PostBus Switzerland vehicle. The suspect was identified as a Swiss man in his sixties who had been reported missing by his family.
Key Takeaways
Six people died after a man set himself ablaze aboard a bus in western Switzerland. Authorities ruled out terrorism but are investigating the motive.
- Six killed, five injured in Swiss bus fire on Tuesday night
- Suspect identified as marginalized Swiss man in his sixties reported missing by family
- Authorities confirm no evidence of terrorist act; treating incident as deliberate self-immolation
- Investigation ongoing to determine exact circumstances leading to the fire
According to multiple reports, the incident occurred approximately 12 miles west of Bern in Kerzers, a town of about 5,000 residents. Authorities described the suspect as marginalized and psychologically unstable. A witness statement indicated that the man boarded the bus carrying bags before dousing himself with a flammable substance and igniting it.
Public prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation, treating the fire as a deliberate act but ruling out terrorism. Fribourg canton’s public prosecutor Raphael Bourquin stated at a news conference on Wednesday that 'there is absolutely no evidence to suggest that this could be a terrorist act.' This assessment was corroborated by multiple officials.
The victims of the blaze were aged between 17 and 65, though their nationalities have not been released. Three injured people were taken to hospitals, while two were treated at the scene; one was discharged on Tuesday, and two remained in hospital on Wednesday. The bus operator, PostBus Switzerland, has not yet released an official statement regarding the incident.
Initial findings suggest that the man boarded the bus in Düdingen municipality around 17:45 local time (18:45 GMT) and set himself on fire roughly 40 minutes later. The investigation is ongoing as authorities work to determine the exact circumstances leading up to the fire.
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