“TERRIBLE TRAGEDY”
It is the second major multiple-casualty fire in Switzerland in less than three months.
In the early hours of Jan 1, a bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana caught fire as people celebrated the New Year. A total of 41 people died, with another 115 injured.
“I am shocked and saddened that people in Switzerland have once again lost their lives in a serious fire,” Swiss President Guy Parmelin said on X.
“The circumstances are being investigated. I would like to express my condolences to the families of those who died in Kerzers. My thoughts are also with the injured and the emergency services.”
The bus involved was a PostBus, a feature of Swiss rural life.
The distinctive yellow buses serve more remote areas, connecting them with towns, while carrying letters and parcels.
They are used by around half a million people every day, notably schoolchildren.
“It is a terrible tragedy that occurred yesterday in Chietres. Like me, all the employees of PostBus and Swiss Post are shocked,” Stefan Regli, the CEO of PostBus, said in a statement.