Six killed in Swiss bus fire after man reportedly set himself alight

Participants at the press conference in Kerzers on Wednesday, 11 March 2026. Keystone / Cyril Zingaro

The fire that killed six people on a bus in western Switzerland was allegedly started by a Swiss man who set himself alight.

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According to initial investigation findings, a man boarded the bus in Düdingen, in canton Fribourg, at around 5:45pm on Tuesday and set fire to himself in Kerzers at about 6:25pm. The fire then spread rapidly through the entire vehicle.

The suspected perpetrator is believed to be a Swiss national who was “isolated and psychologically unstable”, authorities said at a press conference in Kerzers on Wednesday afternoon.

The man, allegedly in his sixties, had been reported missing by his family, according to a statement from Fribourg police. He is thought to have died in the incident. He was “known to the authorities for psychological instability” and lived in canton Bern.

“As for the motive, there is absolutely no evidence to suggest this was a terrorist act,” Raphaël Bourquin, the Fribourg attorney general said at the press conference.

Six killed and five injured in bus blaze in Kerzers

Authorities have also confirmed that the death toll stands at six. No further details were given about the victims, except that their years of birth range from 1961 to 2009. Five people were injured: four passengers and a rescue worker. Three of them are in a serious condition.

The charred shell of a Swiss PostBus after it caught fire in Kerzers on Tuesday. Keystone / Alessandro Della Valle

According to Swiss public broadcaster SRF, one of the injured is being treated in the specialist burns intensive care unit at Zurich University Hospital. Two of the injured were treated at the scene, while the other two seriously hurt were taken to different hospitals.

Witness accounts

Swiss public broadcaster RTS interviewed a witness on Wednesday who said he was at the scene when the fire broke out. He said he had wanted to help but “there was no chance of doing anything”, as the bus went up in “flames very quickly, in less than a minute”.

Responding to a journalist’s question at the press conference on Wednesday, the cantonal inspector explained that a large amount of fuel and oxygen had been present, which caused the flames to spread so quickly.

A small tent has been set up at the scene for people to leave flowers and other messages of support. Keystone / Cyril Zingaro

The eyewitness described seeing “giant flames” and “people burning on the side of the bus”. The clothes of a woman who tried to help passengers escape even caught fire, he said. “I tried to put it out with my hands, then I went to get the extinguisher from my shop. There was no way of putting the fire out, it was coming out from everywhere,” he added, saying he had also been burnt.

On the other side of the road is Teke Zeynel’s food truck. On Tuesday evening, shortly before 6:30pm, he saw everything unfold. “The bus was already completely engulfed in flames. It stopped right in front of me,” Zeynel told RTS.

He added that “the driver managed to open the doors. I saw three people burning. I managed to put out the flames on a woman with my hands. Someone else used their jacket to put out another person. Then I went to get a fire extinguisher and a blanket, but it was already too late.”

‘Everyone tried to help’

He said passers-by were using stones to smash the windows. Just a few metres from the scene, Mina Gendre witnessed the events from her chemist’s shop. “I saw someone come out completely engulfed in flames: it was very shocking. Seeing something like that with your own eyes, right in front of your workplace, is terrifying,” she said.

“We were all worried and wanted to help, but in the end there’s not much you can do. What was heartening, though, is that everyone tried to help. In the moment, it’s incredibly difficult because you don’t know what to do, but everyone was there, trying to do whatever they could.”

Investigations continue as psychological support is provided

Psychological support has been organised for the victims and their families, as well as for others affected, including witnesses, volunteer rescue workers and anyone else who was at the scene, the authorities said.

Fribourg police have issued an appeal for witnesses, asking anyone with information that could assist the investigation to contact them on 026 347 01 17.

Raphaël Bourquin, Fribourg attorney general speaks at a press conference in Kerzers on Wednesday. Keystone / Cyril Zingaro

Philippe Demierre, president of the Fribourg government said they are in the process of securing video footage from all cameras, including surveillance cameras. There are also many different videos circulating, he added, and these still need to be reviewed.

“Investigations will be carried out on the bus to rule out any cause, even a partial one, of a technical nature,” Bourquin said. The School of Criminal Sciences has been commissioned to conduct the examination.

EU delegation offers condolences to Switzerland

The European Union’s representation in Switzerland offered its “sincere condolences”. “Our thoughts are with the victims and their families at this difficult time,” it wrote on X.

In its message, the EU Delegation also wished those injured “a swift and full recovery”. The EU has maintained a diplomatic mission in Bern for Switzerland and Liechtenstein since 2007.

Ecumenical ceremony on Wednesday evening

The dioceses of Lausanne, Geneva and Fribourg, together with the Evangelical Reformed Church of Fribourg, have expressed their “immense sadness” and “deep solidarity” following the tragedy in Kerzers. A service of remembrance will be held on Wednesday evening at the Reformed Church in Kerzers at 7pm.

Adapted from French and German by AI/sp

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