The fire at a bar in popular ski resort, Le Constallation, in Crans-Montana, Switzerland killed around 40 people and injured more than 100, officials said. The cause was still unknown.
Around 40 people were killed and 115 others were injured after a fire broke out early Thursday morning at a bar at a ski resort in Crans-Montana, an Alpine town in southern Switzerland, the police said.
Officials said the fire started during a New Year’s celebration. Hours later, investigators were still seeking to determine the cause of the fire, which set off at least one explosion, but they said they had ruled out the possibility of a terrorist attack. The authorities said the victims were likely of many nationalities.
“What should have been a moment of joy turned into a night of mourning in Crans-Montana, affecting the whole of Switzerland and abroad,” President Guy Parmelin of Switzerland wrote on social media.
Here’s what we know about the disaster.
The fire started shortly after midnight
The blaze broke out around 1:30 a.m. (2:30 a.m. Cyprus time) at a New Year’s party at Le Constellation, a bar in Crans-Montana, a municipality in Valais, a French-speaking canton, the police said.
Video footage taken by a witness showed people outside the burning building. It was filmed by a tourist from New York, who said he had seen people running screaming from the bar, according to the Agence France-Presse news agency.
The Swiss authorities also released images of the bar after the fire, showing a jumble of benches and chairs, damaged cushions and a single shoe on the floor.
“While this evening should have been a time for celebration and gathering, it turned into a nightmare,” Matthias Reynard, a senior member of the regional council, said at a news conference.
Emergency services sent 10 helicopters and 40 ambulances to help take the injured to hospitals, officials said at the news conference. The emergency ward and operating rooms of the nearest major medical center ran out of space, they said.
The cause of the fire is unknown
Beatrice Pilloud, the prosecutor general for the area, declined to comment on the cause of the fire at a news conference on Thursday, stressing that the investigation had just started. But she ruled out a terrorist attack and said that the police were not looking for any suspects.
“An investigation has been launched, not against anyone, but to shed light on the circumstances surrounding this tragic fire,” she said.
The Swiss authorities said that one or two explosions at the bar were caused by a “flashover” — when all combustible material in a room ignites simultaneously, turning a growing fire into an inferno.
Many of the victims were young revelers
The authorities have yet to publicly identify any victims, but officials said that given that the town is a popular tourist destination, foreign nationals were likely to be among them.
Philipp Simmen, head of the Swiss helicopter rescue team that has coordinated getting the injured to hospitals, told the Swiss public broadcaster SRF that many of the victims were young.
Government officials in France and Italy confirmed that citizens of those countries were among those injured or unaccounted for.
Mr. Parmelin, who began his second term as Switzerland’s president on Thursday, postponed a scheduled New Year’s address and traveled to the scene of the fire to speak with emergency workers.
Some victims were still “fighting for their lives,” he said at a news conference on Thursday evening.
The number of people with severe burns far exceeded the capacity of Switzerland’s burn units and national disaster center.
About 50 people are believed to have been badly burned, according to Dr. Robert Larribau, the head of emergency care at Geneva’s University Hospital.
The hospital closest to the fire, in Sion, Switzerland, was initially overwhelmed by the rush of victims, Dr. Larribau said. Transfers of patients to hospitals in Germany, Italy and France were expected to start later on Thursday or Friday, he said.
Officials said that one of the most urgent tasks was identifying the victims, and they asked those with relatives who may have been affected by the fire to contact the authorities.
“Significant resources are also being deployed to enable the bodies to be returned to their families as quickly as possible,” Ms. Pilloud said.
The resort is a popular international ski destination
The ski resort of Crans-Montana is more than a century old and is known as a high-end destination popular with families and international visitors. About three million people visit each year, according to the resort’s website.
The resort is about 120 miles east of Geneva and is famed for its restaurants and luxury stores, and as the site of big sporting events, including World Cup ski races and major golf tournaments. It was scheduled to host the men’s and women’s World Cup races later this month.
In 2024, Vail Resorts, the world’s biggest ski resort operator, acquired Crans-Montana, planning to invest heavily to update its infrastructure, including snow-making facilities.
“It’s a very chic international resort,” said Amin Momen, the founder of Momentum Experiences, a London-based travel company that organizes corporate ski events, including in Crans-Montana.
December is a popular time for families to plan vacations there, Mr. Momen said.
The bar where the fire is thought to have broken out, Le Constellation, was a “casual” gathering place, Mr. Momen said, not the type of luxury nightspot that the resort is known for. The bar was big, with an upstairs and downstairs area, and foreign visitors often went there to watch sports, like Premier League soccer, he said.
The bar was popular with young people, according to SRF.
UPDATE
First victim identified
Emanuele Galepini, 16-year-old Italian international golfer residing in Dubai, emerges as the first confirmed fatality from the catastrophic Le Constellation club blaze in Crans-Montana. Swiss authorities caution that extensive burns sustained by New Year’s Eve partygoers necessitate days for comprehensive victim and injury identifications, relying on dental records and DNA sampling. Italian officials report 47 deaths and over 100 injuries, many critical, with 107 of 112 casualties identified, five pending.
Local leader Mathias Renard stresses absolute certainty before family notifications due to gruesome sensitivities; some remains still inside the cordoned venue where mourners leave candles and flowers.
Agonized searches for loved ones
Letizia, mother of missing 16-year-old Arthur, shared anguish with BFM TV: “Thirty hours searching; unbearable limbo; not knowing hospital or morgue. If alive, he’s alone without support.” Embassies scramble to locate nationals ensnared in Switzerland’s gravest modern disaster.
ERTnews’ Fanis Papathanasiou reveals 15-year-old Greek-Swiss resident Alice Kallergis among unaccounted dozens; she attended with three friends also missing. Parents, aware of the venue, issue desperate pleas. France logs 8 missing, Italy 13; harrowing images of scorched teens and survivor footage from the overcrowded bar compound horror.
Harrowing escape accounts emerge
Survivors describe frantic scenes: people smashing windows to flee, others running with severe burns. Two French teens told BFM TV the blaze ignited in the basement when fireworks in champagne bottles got too close to the wooden ceiling.
Paris teenager Axel Clavie hid behind a table struggling to breathe, then used it to shatter a window and escape.
18-year-old Piemarco Pani called it a “horror movie,” stressing such tragedies can strike anywhere. 26-year-old Ilan Atchour labeled it a “death trap,” urging unity and love in grief.
Heartfelt community vigils
Hundreds braved freezing cold for a silent vigil outside the bar, creating an altar of flowers and candles at the road’s top. A hushed atmosphere prevailed with tearful hugs and whispers. One young man grieved friends and relatives inside, some dead, about 10 hospitalized. Local Paul Martins said his son and girlfriend queued but left; a family friend’s 17-year-old son suffered 30% burns and was airlifted to Germany, with another close contact missing.
A church memorial service featured somber organ music and a sermon on hope.
Swiss federal flags fly at half-mast for five days, announced President Guy Parmelin.
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Featured photo source: Prism Media
Source: Jonathan Wolfe – The New York Times
