A Portuguese man is among the victims of the bus fire that killed six people and left five injured on Tuesday near Fribourg, Switzerland.
The information was advanced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE) in a note of condolences.
“The MNE deeply regrets the death of a Portuguese citizen in the tragic fire in Kerzers, Switzerland. We convey our heartfelt condolences to the family and express solidarity with the authorities and victims,” he said in a post on the social network X.
Itamaraty had already expressed on social media its “deep regret for the tragic bus accident” in Kerzers (Chiètres), Switzerland.
The fire was caused by a “marginal and disturbed” man who immolated himself, removing terrorist motivations.
“A witness reported that a man, whom investigation showed to be of Swiss origin (…) entered this bus with bags in his hands. At one point, he sprayed himself with a flammable product and set it on fire,” said the canton’s prosecutor, Raphael Bourquin, at a press conference in Granges-Paccot, near Fribourg.
Six dead and five injured in fire
The fire, which broke out late on Tuesday afternoon in a regional transport bus in Kerzers, caused at least six dead and five injuredtwo of them seriously, indicated the cantonal police.
“As far as the motives are concerned, there is absolutely no element to suggest that it could be a terrorist act,” said Bourquin.
The family of the alleged perpetrator, a 60 year old man living in Bernhad “announced his disappearance” and “the current elements of the investigation describe him as a marginal and disturbed person”, added the prosecutor, noting that “it appears that this person would be among the deceased”.
The accident occurred in a “postal bus”an iconic public transport service in the country, connecting rural and mountainous locations, so called because it was created to deliver mail.
Swiss “postal buses” are traditional in the country, recognized by their yellow color, punctuality and three-tone horn (used to warn on tight curves).
