Six dead in Swiss coach fire
Police probe possible deliberate act as probe opens
At least six people have died after a coach caught fire in Kerzers, a town in the canton of Fribourg in western Switzerland, authorities said, and prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation. Police and emergency crews arrived to find the bus fully engulfed; firefighters extinguished the blaze in stages and discovered deceased passengers inside the vehicle. Three injured people were taken to hospital.
Fribourg Canton Police spokesperson Frédéric Papaux said investigators currently have evidence suggesting the fire may have been the result of a deliberate act by someone on board, though inquiries are ongoing to establish the exact circumstances, confirm the number and identities of the dead, and determine how the blaze started. Emergency services at the scene included police, paramedics and firefighters who assisted survivors and carried out the search of the wreckage.
Witnesses described passengers attempting to escape as smoke and flames spread rapidly through the coach; some bystanders and nearby motorists reportedly helped at the scene before rescuers arrived. The vehicle was heavily damaged by the fire, and specialists from investigation units are carrying out forensic and technical examinations, including reviewing maintenance records, to rule out mechanical or electrical causes and to reconstruct the sequence of events.
Authorities expressed condolences to victims’ families and said support would be offered to survivors and relatives. The criminal probe aims to establish responsibility and whether the evidence of a deliberate act can be substantiated; investigators cautioned that details, including the final casualty toll and the identities of those killed, remain subject to confirmation as work continues.
