Deadly Swiss bus blaze: what we know so far

Kantonspolizei Freiburg /

Swiss police say the fire that killed six people on a PostBus in canton Fribourg may have been started deliberately, after reports that a passenger set themselves alight. Officers have so far ruled out any terrorist motive.

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Fribourg cantonal police say they are inclined to believe the fire was started deliberately. “At this stage, there is nothing to suggest a terrorist motive,” Martial Pugin, the force’s head of communications, told Swiss public broadcaster RTS on Wednesday.

The public prosecutor has opened a criminal investigation, and Pugin said checks and enquiries were ongoing, including interviews with witnesses, to establish the precise circumstances of the tragedy.

A passenger allegedly ‘poured fuel over themselves’

Speaking to RTS, police spokesperson Frédéric Papaux also referred to the possibility of a deliberate act. “People near the bus, as well as those inside it, spoke of someone who may have acted intentionally with an incendiary device,” he said, while emphasising that he could not “specify the exact circumstances”. Another local police spokesperson, Christa Bielmann, said investigators were examining reports that a “person had poured fuel over themselves”. They added that it would be up to the investigation to determine the cause.

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Pugin said questions regarding the alleged perpetrator were still being checked and verified. “We cannot confirm anything at this stage,” he said.

Police will hold a press briefing at 2pm on Wednesday to provide the latest updates.

Authorities have also set up a hotline for victims, relatives and potential witnesses: 0800 261 700.

Swiss bus catches fire, six dead

The incident occurred at about 6:25pm on Tuesday, when the cantonal police emergency and alert centre received a report of a fire on a PostBus on Murtenstrasse in Kerzers.

The bus had been travelling from Düdingen to Kerzers. When emergency services arrived, they found the vehicle completely engulfed in flames. Firefighters carried out rescue and firefighting operations.

At least six people have died. Five others were injured: four passengers and a paramedic, the Fribourg police said at a press conference. Three of the injured are in a critical condition and one person was airlifted to hospital. Police have not yet disclosed how many people were on board the bus.

Victim identification will take time

As in the Crans‑Montana tragedy, identifying the victims may take several days. “The DNA process will take time regardless of the number of victims. It’s simply the nature of the procedure,” said Romain Collaud, a member of Fribourg’s cantonal government responsible for security and justice. Collaud also expressed the cantonal government’s condolences to the victims and their families.

+ Swiss press question lax regulations in Crans-Montana bar fireExternal link

“A bus catching fire like this takes everyone by surprise. We’re still in a state of shock,” Collaud said. While the cause of the tragedy has yet to be established, an electrical fault can be ruled out. “It was a bus with an internal combustion engine,” he added.

Swiss President ‘shocked and saddened’ by bus blaze tragedy

In a message posted on X, Swiss President Guy Parmelin said he was “shocked and saddened that people have once again lost their lives in a serious fire in Switzerland”. He offered his condolences to the families of the victims and sent his thoughts to the injured and to the emergency responders.

Swiss parliament holds a minute’s silence for victims

Members of the Swiss House of Representatives held a minute’s silence on Wednesday following the fatal bus fire. Keystone / Peter Klaunzer

The Swiss House of Representatives held a minute’s silence on Wednesday following the fatal bus fire. The President of the House, Pierre‑André Page, expressed condolences to the families of those who died, speaking both on behalf of the chamber and in a personal capacity. “It was with deep sadness that we learned of the fire on a PostBus in Kerzers,” said Page, who comes from the canton. “On behalf of Parliament and on my own behalf, I want to offer my sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and wish the injured a speedy recovery.”

The President of the Senate, Stefan Engler, stressed the sudden and shocking nature of the incident. “An ordinary moment – perhaps on the way home from work or school – took an unimaginable turn,” he said.

Swiss Post ‘deeply affected’ by tragedy

Swiss Post said it was “deeply affected” by the PostBus fire in Fribourg, and offered its condolences to the victims and their families.“Yesterday’s fire was a terrible tragedy. Like me, all PostBus and Swiss Post employees are shocked and shaken. On behalf of the Board of Directors and the entire Group management team, I want to extend our sincerest condolences. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families,” said Stefan Regli, CEO of PostBus and a member of Swiss Post’s Executive Board.

Regli said PostBus was in close contact with the authorities and was “doing everything in its power” to help clarify the circumstances of the incident as the investigation continues.

Adapted from French and German by AI/sp

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