The bus caught fire Tuesday evening on a road in Kerzers, a town of about 5,000 inhabitants in the western canton of Fribourg, close to the Swiss capital Bern.
Fribourg police spokesperson Frederic Papaux said investigators found evidence suggesting someone deliberately started the fire.
“At this stage, we have elements suggesting a deliberate act by a person who was inside the bus,” Papaux said.
Meanwhile, another local police spokesperson, Christa Bielmann, told a press conference that investigators were examining reports that a person had poured fuel on themselves. Bielmann said authorities needed more time to determine whether the incident was terrorism related.
Reacting to the news, a Local politician from Fribourg, Romain Collaud, said early findings did not point to terrorism.
“We have no indication that suggests we might be dealing with a terrorist attack,” Collaud said.
Newspotng gathered that hospitals admitted three injured people, while two others caught in the blaze received treatment but did not require hospitalisation.
Eyewitnesses Describe Rapid Spread Of Flames
In addition to the findings, Papaux said passengers escaped from the burning bus in panic and with injuries. Video footage taken after firefighters extinguished the flames showed the charred remains of the yellow vehicle.
Eyewitnesses also at the scene described seeing a small fire inside the bus that quickly intensified into a massive blaze. Bystanders reported seeing someone running from the burning bus while on fire. People nearby helped extinguish the flames on the person using a jacket.
The local residents have expressed shock that such a violent incident could occur in their small, quiet community, with many saying they never imagined this type of tragedy would strike Kerzers.
Authorities Work To Identify Victims
Collaud said identifying the six people who died could take several days. Authorities have not confirmed whether the person suspected of starting the fire died in the blaze or survived.
Police collected DNA samples from families of passengers and told them the results might take up to 48 hours. Some family members waited anxiously for news about their loved ones who were on the bus.
The incident shocked Switzerland, which experienced another deadly fire just two months ago. In January, a fire in a bar at the ski resort of Crans-Montana killed 41 people and injured 115.
“The wounds from Crans-Montana are still fresh, fuelling strong reactions today,” Collaud said, noting that such tragic events appeared to be happening more frequently both in Switzerland and worldwide.
