CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland – Several dozen people are presumed dead and around 100 injured after a devastating fire ripped through a crowded bar in the luxury Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana during New Year’s celebrations, police said on Thursday.
The fire broke out at approximately 01:30 local time at Le Constellation bar, sending panicked revellers fleeing into the night as flames engulfed the popular establishment.
“Several dozen people are presumed to have died,” said Frederic Gisler, police commander in the Wallis canton. “Around 100 people have been wounded, many of them seriously. All the injured are being treated.”
Emergency responders deployed 10 helicopters, 40 ambulances and 150 health workers to the scene. The injured were transported to hospitals across Switzerland, with some victims sent as far as Zurich, Lausanne and Geneva due to the overwhelming number of casualties.
International response
The tragedy has drawn international attention, with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announcing that Milan’s Niguarda severe burns center was “available” to assist. French President Emmanuel Macron offered “France’s full solidarity and fraternal support to Switzerland.”
At least two French citizens were among the injured, according to the French foreign ministry, though authorities expect victims to represent multiple nationalities given Crans-Montana’s popularity with international tourists.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin, who took office Thursday, called the incident a “terrible tragedy.”
“What was meant to be a moment of joy has turned the first day of the year in Crans-Montana into a day of mourning affecting the entire country and beyond,” Parmelin said.
Investigation underway
Authorities are investigating the cause of the blaze but have ruled out terrorism. Swiss media suggested the fire may have started during pyrotechnics used at a concert, though officials have not confirmed this theory.
“The initial investigation shows the explosion was in fact a consequence of the fire,” said Stephane Ganzer, head of Wallis’s security department. “It wasn’t an explosive device that caused the fire.”
Chief prosecutor Beatrice Pilloud emphasized that “there is absolutely no question of a terrorist attack” and said significant resources were being mobilized “to identify the victims and return their bodies as quickly as possible to the families.”
Witness accounts
A New York tourist who filmed the scene described seeing “bright orange flames pouring from the bar” and people “running and screaming.”
Local residents described a chaotic scene that transformed the celebratory atmosphere into one of horror.
“The party was in full swing… music and champagne flowing freely,” one nearby resident told the Lausanne newspaper 24 heures. “Then we saw the smoke. It’s terrible, a lot of young people go to that bar.”
When emergency services arrived, they found “a scene of chaos,” Ganzer said. Le Constellation has a capacity of 300 people plus another 40 on its terrace, according to the Crans-Montana website.
The resort is scheduled to host the Ski World Cup beginning 30 January.
Hours after the fire, ambulances remained parked outside the bar, with broken windows visible and what Swiss media described as “a smell of burning still in the air.”
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