Geneva, 11 March 2026 (dpa/MIA) - Six people were killed and at least four others injured when a public transit bus caught fire in western Switzerland, police said on Tuesday evening.

Three of the injured are in critical condition, police in the canton of Fribourg said. A paramedic was also hurt during the rescue operation.

The incident occurred in the community of Kerzers, west of the capital Bern.

Police said they are investigating the cause of the fire.

"A deliberate act could be the cause of this tragedy," police said in a statement late on Tuesday, adding that the fire may have been intentionally set.

Asked whether the incident could have been a terrorist attack, a police spokesman said at a press conference that it was too early to say.

Swiss newspaper Blick cited a witness who said a man had poured petrol inside the bus and set himself on fire. Police said similar information had been reported to them but could not initially confirm the account.

Images circulating on social media showed the vehicle engulfed in flames, with a thick column of smoke rising high into the sky.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze, but the bus was completely destroyed. Videos showed numerous bystanders filming the burning vehicle with their mobile phones.

Police could not immediately say how many passengers were on board or whether the bus driver was among the victims. The identification of the victims was under way. It also remained unclear whether the person who may have started the fire was among the dead.

The bus belonged to PostAuto, which mainly operates scheduled services in rural areas.

MIA file photo