Six dead after man ‘sets himself on fire’ during bus journey
At least six people have been killed and three others taken to the hospital with severe injuries after a man ‘set himself on fire’ in a town west of the Swiss capital.
Police spokesperson Frederic Papaux said a ‘voluntary act’ could be the cause of the inferno on Tuesday evening in the town of Kerzers, about 15 miles west of Bern.
The regional transport bus is operated by PostBus, which is affiliated with the national postal service.
Images from the scene on Swiss media showed flames tearing through the bus.
An eyewitness told local media in Albanian: ‘A man set himself on fire inside. He poured gasoline and set himself on fire!’
‘After rushing to the scene, rescue teams noted that the vehicle was totally engulfed in flames,’ the regional government said in a statement.
Ambulance and helicopter teams ferried three injured people with severe injuries to the hospital, while two others were treated on site, police said.
Mr Papaux said an investigation was underway, and refused to say if the incident was terror-related.
The bus was travelling from Düdingen to Kerzers, and burst into flames before the final stop, according to local media.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin wrote on X: ‘It distresses and saddens me that yet more people in Switzerland have lost their lives in a serious fire.
‘The background is being clarified. To the relatives of the deceased from Kerzers, I extend my condolences. And I think of the injured and the emergency services.’
On New Year’s Eve, 41 people died in an inferno at the Constellation in the ski resort of Crans-Montana.
The bar owners are facing trial for ‘manslaughter by negligence, causing injury by negligence, and causing arson by negligence’ in relation to the 41 deaths, and the severe burning of 115 others.
Around 200 people, including minors, were inside the nightclub at the time, according to Swiss news outlet Blick.
Witnesses have claimed the fire occurred after a waitress put candles on top of champagne bottles, one of which was then held up to the ‘wooden’ ceiling.
Crans-Montana is a popular destination in the Alps, particularly among British skiers, known for its views of the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc.
Le Constellation, sometimes called the Constellation Bar, has been open since 2015. It can accommodate up to 300 people and a further 40 in its lounge.
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