Following the fire on the postal bus in Kerzers, initial findings from the investigation do not point to a terrorist act. Hearings and witness statements suggest that the perpetrator was mentally unstable, acted alone, likely holds Swiss citizenship, and lived in the canton of Bern.
According to the cantonal police, he is believed to be among the dead. Investigations indicate that he boarded the bus in Düdingen at approximately 5:45 p.m. and set himself on fire in Kerzers at approximately 6:25 p.m. by dousing himself with a flammable liquid and igniting it. He may have been a mentally unstable individual who had previously been reported missing by his family.
No technical defect
As previously reported, at least six people have died. Identification efforts are underway, and the results are expected this evening. Of the five injured, three required hospitalization. Two people were still receiving treatment at the time of publication, while one victim was able to return home during the night .
The bus in question was a vehicle with a combustion engine. Since, according to the cantonal police, human error is considered the most likely cause, a technical defect of the bus can be ruled out at this stage of the investigation.
Photos: Cantonal Police / State of Fribourg
The operation required the intervention of several patrols and specialists from the Freiburg cantonal police, ten ambulances (from the cantons of Vaud, Bern, Freiburg and Neuchâtel), the SMUR (mobile emergency medical and resuscitation service) and REGA, as well as around forty firefighters from the See –Lac, Broye and Saane battalions.
A hotline was set up. The Care Team See/Lac & Sense was also on site. Psychological support was organized for the victims and their relatives, as well as for other affected individuals such as witnesses, volunteers, and other bystanders. Witnesses were asked to contact the cantonal police at 026 347 01 17.
