At least six people have been killed and others injured after a bus caught fire in a town in western Switzerland, according to police.

The incident took place at around 18:25 local time (19:25 GMT) on Tuesday in the centre of Kerzers - known in French as Chiètres - in Fribourg canton, about 20km (12 miles) from the capital, Bern.

At least three people were taken to the hospital, police said, and there were reports that a rescuer was also hurt.

The cause of the fire is not yet known, but an investigation is underway to determine whether it was deliberately set.

There have been reports that a person doused themselves in gasoline, but the authorities said they could not immediately confirm this.

Video posted by local media shows a bus in flames, and a local resident described seeing a thick column of smoke.

The bus involved had reportedly travelled from the Düdingen municipality, 17km south of Kerzers.