A fire engulfed a public transport bus in the western Swiss town of Kerzers, killing at least six people and injuring several others, prompting authorities to investigate whether the blaze was deliberate.
The Fribourg cantonal police said in a statement late Tuesday that emergency services were alerted around 6.25 pm CET (1725GMT) to a fire on a postal bus on Murtenstrasse in Kerzers, in the canton of Fribourg.
The postal bus, known as PostBus, is a public transport bus service operated by Swiss Post that connects towns and rural communities across Switzerland.
When responders arrived, the vehicle was already fully engulfed in flames, according to the police statement.
Firefighters carried out rescue and extinguishing operations while authorities established a security perimeter around the site.
A medical response involving several ambulances and a REGA rescue helicopter transported three injured people to hospitals, while two others were treated at the scene and did not require hospitalization, police said.
Authorities later confirmed that several people were found dead, though the exact number of fatalities was not immediately confirmed Tuesday evening.
Swiss Post on Wednesday said in a statement that the postal bus fire had caused "at least six deaths" and several injuries, calling it a "terrible incident."
The cantonal police said "a willful act could be the cause of the fire," and an investigation has been opened by the Fribourg public prosecutor's office.
The cantonal government expressed condolences on Wednesday to the families and relatives of the victims, describing the incident as a "tragic fire."
"It is a terrible tragedy that occurred yesterday in Kerzers," Stefan Regli, the CEO of PostBus and a member of the Swiss Post executive management, also said in a statement. "Like me, all PostBus and Swiss Post employees are shocked and deeply affected."
The cantonal police are expected to hold a press conference on Wednesday afternoon to provide more information.
