Several Dead After Man Sets Himself on Fire While Riding Bus

A deadly bus fire tore through the small Swiss town of Kerzers on Tuesday evening, leaving at least six people dead and five others injured — and investigators now say the blaze may have been started deliberately.

The fire erupted around 6:25 p.m. local time on March 10, 2026, on a bus in Kerzers (Fribourg canton), roughly 12 miles west of Switzerland’s capital, Bern.

Early witness claims circulating online suggest a man may have poured fuel on himself and set himself alight inside the bus shortly before flames exploded through the vehicle. Police have not publicly confirmed those specific eyewitness accounts, but they have described the incident as potentially “man-made” and are treating it as suspicious while the investigation continues.

Social media video captured the terrifying scale of the blaze, showing flames shooting several meters high and thick smoke rising into the night sky. Afterward, photos from the scene showed a burned-out shell of a bus, gutted by fire.

Police have confirmed the death toll and injuries, with reports indicating three of the injured were seriously hurt.

Officials have not said whether the person believed to have sparked the fire is among the dead or injured.

Investigators also have not ruled out terrorism, but a spokesperson said they could not comment on that angle at this stage.

According to reporting cited by major outlets, the bus was traveling a route from Düdingen to Kerzers when the fire broke out shortly before its final stop.

Emergency crews rushed to the scene as police urged the public to stay away from the area and follow official instructions. Swiss news agency Keystone-ATS also reported that one person was airlifted by helicopter.

For now, investigators are working to establish exactly how the fire started, who was involved, and whether this was a targeted act or something else entirely. Authorities are expected to release more information as victim identities are confirmed and forensic work on the bus and scene is completed.