Deadly Swiss bus fire started by 'disturbed' man who set himself alight: Prosecutor
The family of the man suspected of setting himself on fire, who was in his sixties and lived in Bern, had earlier reported his disappearance.
A PostBus rides past flowers on Mar 11, 2026 in Kerzers, western Switzerland on the day after a bus of the same public company caught fire on Mar 10, 2026, killing at least six people and injuring five others in what police said may have been a deliberate act. (Photo: AFP/Fabrice Coffrini)
FRIBOURG, Switzerland: A blaze on a Swiss bus that killed six people may have been started by a "disturbed" man who set himself alight, a public prosecutor said on Wednesday (Mar 11).
"A witness statement indicated that a man ... of Swiss origin boarded the bus carrying bags. At some point, he doused himself with a flammable substance and set himself alight," prosecutor Raphael Bourquin told a press conference.
"There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that this could be a terrorist act," he said, adding that "it appears that this person is among the deceased".
The fire broke out on the bus in the main street of the small town of Kerzers, around 20km west of the Alpine nation's capital Bern, at about 6.25pm (5.25pm GMT) on Tuesday.
Videos shared on social media showed flames several metres high bursting out from the windows, and black smoke rising into the sky.
The family of the man suspected of setting himself on fire, who was in his sixties and lived in Bern, had "reported his disappearance", and "current evidence describes him as a marginalised and disturbed individual", added Bourquin.
Besides those killed, the fire injured five people, two of them seriously, according to the police. One of three people taken to hospital has since returned home and the other two were treated at the scene.
The police were unable to confirm how many passengers were aboard at the time of the blaze.
MELTED TAR
Several ambulances and a helicopter were sent to the scene, with investigators working late into the night.
By early Wednesday, the charred husk of the bus was removed from the roadway, leaving a few traces of melted tar on the ground and a faint smell of burning.
"TERRIBLE TRAGEDY"
It is the second major multiple-casualty fire in Switzerland in less than three months.
In the early hours of Jan 1, a bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana caught fire as people celebrated the New Year. A total of 41 people died, with another 115 injured.
"I am shocked and saddened that people in Switzerland have once again lost their lives in a serious fire," Swiss President Guy Parmelin said on X.
"The circumstances are being investigated. I would like to express my condolences to the families of those who died in Kerzers. My thoughts are also with the injured and the emergency services."
The bus involved was a PostBus, a feature of Swiss rural life.
The distinctive yellow buses serve more remote areas, connecting them with towns, while carrying letters and parcels.
They are used by around half a million people every day, notably schoolchildren.
"It is a terrible tragedy that occurred yesterday in Chietres. Like me, all the employees of PostBus and Swiss Post are shocked," Stefan Regli, the CEO of PostBus, said in a statement.
