At least six people were killed and several others were injured after a passenger bus caught fire Tuesday in western Switzerland, authorities said.
Police in the canton of Fribourg said the fire that broke out around 6:25 p.m. local time on a postal bus in the town of Kerzers may have been a deliberate attack. Emergency crews arrived as the bus was already engulfed in flames.
Investigators had not yet confirmed the cause of the fire, though regional police said an unspecified “voluntary act” may have played a role. Officials said the circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.
At least three victims were hospitalized with severe injuries, according to local officials.
Emergency responders deployed a large rescue operation at the scene, with firefighters working to extinguish the flames and paramedics testing victims. Images from the site showed the charred shell of the bus after the fire was brought under control.
The victims have not yet been publicly identified, and authorities have not said how many passengers were aboard at the time of the fire.
Police investigating the fire as a deliberate attack comes as fears of terrorism-related attacks spread globally amid the war in Iran.
The deadly bus fire comes two months after one of the worst fire disasters in Switzerland in recent decades. On Jan. 1, a fire tore through the Le Constellation bar in the Alpine resort town of Crans-Montana during New Year’s celebrations, killing around 40 people and injuring more than 100 others.
Investigators later said the nightclub blaze may have been ignited by sparklers attached to champagne bottles that set fire to soundproofing materials on the ceiling, rapidly spreading flames through the crowded venue.
That tragedy prompted national mourning and renewed scrutiny of fire safety regulations across Switzerland.
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Authorities have not connected the two incidents, but the latest disaster is likely to revive concerns about fire safety and emergency preparedness in public spaces.
Police said further details about Tuesday’s bus fire would be released as the investigation continues.
