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Topics: World News
Phoebe Tonks
At least six people have been killed and five injured in what is believed to be a ‘deliberate’ bus fire in Switzerland, just months after a deadly fire ripped through the ski resort of Crans-Montana, where more than 40 people were killed.
In the second high profile fire to have gripped the European nation in recent weeks, Police confirmed that the blaze took place in Kerzers, a town in the western canton of Fribourg, at around 6.25pm on Tuesday.
Addressing the media in a statement, authorities confirmed the tragic loss of life, before adding that five people have also been injured, including an emergency responder, with three of them having been taken to hospital in critical condition.
No further details were given about the identities of the victims and it is currently unknown if any more passengers were injured, as officials have not confirmed how many people were onboard the bus when is was ‘totally engulfed’ by flames.
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According to eye witnesses present at the time of the incident, a man inside the bus ‘poured out petrol and set himself alight’, as per Swiss newspaper Blick, with further witness reports also corroborating the same story.
During a press conference, a spokeswoman of Fribourg's police said that it may have been a ‘wilful act’ before adding that the force had ‘information that a person is the cause of the fire’.
However, they couldn’t confirm or deny the accuracy of this report at the time of the conference.
Another spokesperson said the fire could have been ‘started deliberately’ but refused to reveal whether the alleged perpetrator was among those killed or injured in the blaze.
Given the circumstances surrounding the tragedy, Police are keeping an open mind as an investigation gets underway, but haven’t ruled out terrorism as a possibility.
Schweizerische Post, the company operating the bus, said in a statement to Swiss paper Der Bund: "Our thoughts are with the injured and the families of the deceased.”
Swiss President Guy Parmelin also paid tribute to all those affected by the fire, as he said: "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 & the emergency services.”
It is the second deadly Swiss fire to hit international news since the start of the year and follows the tragic loss of 41 lives and the injuring of 115 more at the ski resort of Crans-Montana, on January 1.
Many of the victims in the New Year fire were teenagers, and many were also foreigners, including several from France and Italy.