Six die in Swiss bus blaze after reports of person setting themselves on fire
Written by: Dave Graham and Olivia Le Poidevin
KERZERS, Switzerland, March 11 (Reuters) – At least six people were killed and three injured in a bus fire in western Switzerland. Police said the incident may have been an intentional act; A media outlet reported that a man set himself on fire.
The bus burst into flames on Tuesday evening on a road in the town of Kerzers, a town of about 5,000 people in the canton of Fribourg, about 20 km (12 miles) from the Swiss capital Bern, police said.
“At this stage we have elements that indicate a deliberate act by a person inside the bus,” Fribourg police spokesman Frederic Papaux said.
Another local police spokeswoman, Christa Bielmann, said investigators were looking into reports that a person had poured fuel on himself. It was too early to say whether the incident was related to terrorism, she told a press conference.
“We have no indication that we may be facing a terrorist attack,” local politician Romain Collaud in Fribourg told Swiss-French broadcaster RTS. he said.
Police reported that 3 injured people were taken to hospital. Two other people caught in the fire were also intervened but did not need to be hospitalized.
Papaux said passengers panicked and were injured while escaping from the burning bus.
Swiss media outlet 20 Minutes said it watched a video taken at the scene in which an injured man said: “A man set himself on fire. He poured gasoline on himself and then set himself on fire.”
RUBBED RESIDUALS OF THE BUS
The video taken after the flames were extinguished shows the burnt remains of the yellow vehicle.
Mina Gendre was about to close the shop where she worked when she saw a small fire inside the bus that stopped unexpectedly across the road. He said he was engulfed in flames about half a minute later.
“It was very shocking,” Gendre said. “I saw someone running out of the bus in flames.”
As smoke rose from the bus, Gendre closed the door of the shop to allow bystanders to help extinguish the fire on the person in the jacket.
Vanessa Liuzzi, 37, a local resident who left flowers at the scene, said the small town was tense and the story circulating was that someone had set themselves on fire.
“People say that. Frankly, it’s really sad that things have gotten to the point of attacks or attempts on people’s lives. Nobody thought this could happen here in Kerzers.”
“I’m shocked, I’m sad, I’m in despair,” he said.
Local resident Margrit Schneider, 82, fought back tears as she stood at the scene of the fire.
“I’ve been here 65 years, nothing like this has ever happened here before,” he said.
Collaud said it may take a few days to identify the six dead people, adding that it is not known whether the person suspected of starting the fire was among the victims.
THE BUS COMPANY EXPRESSED CONDOLENCES
Stefan Regli, president of bus company Postauto, said it was a terrible tragedy and offered his condolences.
“All Postauto and Swiss Post employees, like me, are shocked and deeply saddened,” Regli said in a statement. he said.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin expressed his condolences and said the incident was being investigated.
In his statement about
In January, Switzerland was shaken by a fire that broke out in a bar in the Crans-Montana ski resort, killing 41 people and injuring 115.
“The wounds in Crans-Montana are still fresh and are prompting strong reactions today,” Collaud said. “These are clearly events that no one would want to experience or relive. But they now seem to be part of everyday life, happening more frequently in Switzerland and around the world, which is unfortunate,” he told RTS.
(Reporting by Dave Graham in Kerzers, Olivia Le Poidevin in Geneva; Additional reporting by Cecile Mantovani; Editing by Neil Fullick, Lincoln Feast, Michael Perry and Alex Richardson)
