Dozens of people were killed and around 100 others injured after a fire swept through a bar during New Year’s Eve celebrations in the luxury ski resort of Crans-Montana in southern Switzerland, police said Thursday.
The Italian foreign ministry, citing Swiss authorities, reported about 40 deaths, although Swiss officials have not confirmed a precise figure. Investigators have not yet been able to enter the wreckage.
Valais Canton police commander Frédéric Gisler said authorities are working to identify victims and notify families, but added that “it will take time” to provide more exact numbers. “The community is devastated,” he said.
Beatrice Pilloud, Valais Canton attorney general, said it was too early to determine the cause but ruled out terrorism. “At no moment is there a question of any kind of attack,” she said.
The blaze broke out shortly after midnight at Le Constellation bar, turning a crowded celebration into one of Switzerland’s worst recent tragedies. Witnesses described flames spreading quickly from a lit candle in a bottle that ignited the wooden ceiling, triggering a surge of panicked partygoers.
Helicopters and ambulances were dispatched to assist victims, many of whom were seriously injured. Some guests smashed windows or fled through narrow stairways. Axel Clavier, 16, from Paris, survived by pushing out a plexiglass window; he said one friend died and two to three others were missing.
Officials said the fire likely caused a flashover, igniting combustible gases in the bar. Mathias Reynard, head of the regional government of Valais Canton, called the incident a “nightmare” that turned what should have been a celebration into tragedy.
The regional hospital’s intensive care unit and operating theatres were quickly overwhelmed. Authorities urged residents and tourists to exercise caution in the coming days.
Crans-Montana, a prominent ski and golf resort hosting World Cup ski events and the European Masters golf tournament, drew a significant number of tourists for the New Year’s celebrations.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin expressed condolences on social media to victims, the injured, and their families. He postponed his traditional New Year’s address out of respect.
