At least six people have been killed and five more injured after a man reportedly doused himself in petrol and set himself on fire inside a bus.

The horror unfolded in the town of Kerzers in western Switzerland at around 6.25pm on Tuesday when a coach carrying passengers suddenly caught fire.

Eyewitnesses alleged a man set himself alight inside the vehicle moments before the blaze erupted, although police have not confirmed these claims.

Videos shared on social media show flames several metres high rapidly engulfing the bus, which belonged to the postal service.

Separate images from after the incident show the vehicle having been completely gutted by the inferno.

In one clip obtained by local media, an eyewitness is asked what happened. ‘A man set himself on fire inside,’ he replies in Albanian.

‘He poured gasoline and set himself on fire!’

Police have said they are treating the fire as ‘man made’ but have so far refused to disclose whether it is terror related.

At least six people have been killed and five more injured after a man reportedly doused himself in petrol and set himself on fire inside a bus in Switzerland. Image from the scene
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At least six people have been killed and five more injured after a man reportedly doused himself in petrol and set himself on fire inside a bus in Switzerland. Image from the scene

Forensic police work in the remains of the bus which caught fire in Switzerland on Tuesday evening
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Forensic police work in the remains of the bus which caught fire in Switzerland on Tuesday evening

Image shows the fire taking hold after a man allegedly set himself on fire inside the bus
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Image shows the fire taking hold after a man allegedly set himself on fire inside the bus

Photographs show the bus having been completely gutted by the flames
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Photographs show the bus having been completely gutted by the flames

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A spokesperson said: ‘We cannot comment on that at this stage of the investigation.’

The bus was travelling a route from Düdingen to Kerzers when the fire erupted just before the final stop, according to reports.

It is understood to be a regional transport vehicle operated by PostBus, which is affiliated with the Swiss national postal service.

Three of the five injured people were taken to the hospital, while the other two were treated at the scene.

It remains unclear whether the suspect is among the dead or the wounded.

‘Several people injured and several are dead,’ police said in an earlier statement on social media.

‘Emergency services are currently on the scene. The cause is not yet known.’

A number of fire crews, police and medics rushed to the scene to tackle the blaze.

Firefighters work on the scene of the deadly bus fire on Tuesday
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Firefighters work on the scene of the deadly bus fire on Tuesday

An aerial view of the aftermath of the fire in Switzerland on Tuesday evening
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An aerial view of the aftermath of the fire in Switzerland on Tuesday evening

Firefighters and police officers install barriers to secure the area where a postal bus caught fire in Kerzers
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Firefighters and police officers install barriers to secure the area where a postal bus caught fire in Kerzers

Swiss news agency Keystone-ATS reported that one person was airlifted away by helicopter. Image from the scene
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Swiss news agency Keystone-ATS reported that one person was airlifted away by helicopter. Image from the scene

Police have asked the public to stay away from the area and to follow instructions from officials.

Swiss news agency Keystone-ATS reported that one person was airlifted away by helicopter.

The investigation into the fire remains ongoing.

Swiss President Guy Parmelin said in a post on X: ‘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 and the emergency services.’

The tragedy comes just months after 41 people were killed in a devastating fire in the Swiss mountain resort of Crans-Montana on New Year’s Eve.

A large proportion of those that died were teenagers, including foreign nationals from France and Italy.