A preliminary police investigation indicates that a bus driver deliberately set his vehicle on fire in Kathmandu’s Tripureshwar on Monday after getting all the passengers off.

Senior Superintendent of Police Dilip Ghimire, chief of the Kathmandu District Police, told Kantipur that investigators were still questioning passengers and others connected to the incident.

“Based on the information we have so far, it appears that he set the bus on fire himself,” Ghimire said. “However, police are still questioning the passengers and others involved in the incident.”

Traffic police identified the driver as 23-year-old Dawa Lama of Panauti in Kavrepalanchok district.

Police said the fact that Lama did not try to flee after the fire further supports their initial assessment that he deliberately started it. They have not, however, established why he set the bus on fire or what he used to ignite it.

Witnesses said the fire appeared to have started near the passenger seats.

“When our team arrived, the bus door was still locked from inside,” Superintendent of Police Naresh Subedi of the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office Subedi said. “We broke open the door and entered the bus to carry out the rescue. We are investigating other aspects of the incident.”

The bus, bearing registration number Ba 2 Kha 4274, was taken to the Burn Hospital in Kirtipur. Firefighters brought the blaze under control. Ghimire said Lama was in critical condition.

Dr Shankar Rai of the Burn Hospital said more than 90 percent of Lama’s body had suffered burns.