6 people killed and 3 hospitalized in Switzerland bus fire that may have been “deliberate,” police say

A bus fire in a town west of the Swiss capital killed at least six people and three others were hospitalized with severe injuries, police said Tuesday.

Police spokesperson Frederic Papaux of Fribourg canton, or region, said the inferno broke out Tuesday evening in the town of Kerzers, about 15 miles west of Bern, the capital of Switzerland.

“At this stage, we have elements suggesting a deliberate act by a person who was inside the bus,” Papaux said at a news conference, according to Reuters.

Police would not elaborate on why they believe the fire could have been deliberately started. Fribourg police said in a statement that a criminal investigation had been opened by public prosecutors “to determine the exact circumstances of the tragedy.”

Authorities said they could not immediately confirm reports that a person had doused themselves in gasoline, CBS News partner the BBC reported.

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.

“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, police said.