A tragic bus fire in Kerzers, Fribourg, Switzerland, claimed the lives of six individuals, including Lara Baumgartner, a 26-year-old radio DJ. The blaze engulfed the entire bus, leaving five others injured. The incident, which resulted in a massive plume of smoke visible from a distance, prompted Swiss police to launch an investigation amid reports that a man had self-immolated.
Radio Energy, Lara’s employer, expressed profound shock and sorrow, describing her as a remarkable person and colleague whose presence will be deeply missed. The police confirmed the identities of the victims, including a 16-year-old boy, a 63-year-old Portuguese bus driver, a 29-year-old man, and two women aged 25 and 29, all Swiss nationals residing in the area.
The suspected perpetrator, a 65-year-old Swiss citizen from Bern, was among the deceased. The fire broke out on the bus route from Düdingen to Kerzers, just before the final stop, where five individuals sustained injuries. Police mentioned the possibility of arson, indicating that a person had potentially ignited the fire by dousing themselves with gasoline.
The injured parties, consisting of two Swiss men aged 34 and 61, two Swiss women aged 27 and 56, and a 32-year-old man from Kosovo, received medical attention, with three of them being hospitalized. The authorities are continuing their investigation into this tragic event.