Six dead after bus bursts into flames in Switzerland

At least six people have been killed and three others hospitalised with severe injuries after a bus caught fire in a town west of the Swiss capital.

Police spokesman Frederic Papaux said an unspecified deliberate act could be the cause of the fire in the town of Kerzers, about 25 kilometres west of Bern.

"At this stage, we have elements suggesting a deliberate act by a person who was inside the bus," said Papaux.

Asked whether the incident could have been a terrorist attack, the police spokesman said it was too early to say.

Swiss newspaper Blick cited a witness who said a man had poured petrol inside the bus and set himself on fire.

Police said similar information had been reported to them but Papaux said he could not confirm whether petrol was used or how the fire had started.

Passengers were seen escaping from the burning bus, panicked and injured, Papaux said, adding that no other vehicle was involved.

Video after the flames were extinguished showed the charred remains of the vehicle.

"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 hospitals, while two others were treated on site, a police statement said.

Police could not immediately say how many passengers were on board or whether the bus driver was among the victims.

The identification of the victims was under way. It also remained unclear whether the person who may have started the fire was among the dead.

Swiss President Guy Parmelin offered his condolences and said the incident was being investigated.

"It shocks and saddens me that once again people have lost their lives in a serious fire in Switzerland," he said in a statement on social media platform X.

In January, Switzerland was rocked by a fire in a bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana that killed 41 people and injured 115.

With Reuters and dpa