At least 40 dead and 115 injured in a bar fire in Switzerland

BarcelonaA fire at a bar in the luxury ski resort of Crans-Montana, in the Valais region of Switzerland, has left 40 dead and 115 injured, many of them seriously. The fire broke out at 1:30 a.m. during a New Year's Eve party, when there were about 400 people in the establishment, mostly teenagers and young adults. Police ruled out any terrorist connection and described the fire as extremely intense. Authorities warn that identifying the victims will be "very complex" due to the condition of the bodies and the fact that there were young people of various nationalities at the party. Italy is still searching for six people missing, while 13 Italians are hospitalized. There are also at least nine French citizens among the seriously injured, and eight more remain unaccounted for. At the moment, there are no reports of Spanish victims, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. An information line for relatives has been activated at +41 84 811 21 17. Police and rescue services have deployed ten helicopters, 42 ambulances, and 140 personnel to evacuate victims to hospitals in Sion. All hospitals in the region have been overwhelmed, and intensive care units are full. The area has been cordoned off, and a no-fly zone has been imposed over the municipality. According to a senior police official at a press conference, everyone involved in the rescue operations was "shocked" by the devastation and the high number of victims. "Now the priority is for forensic experts to help us identify the people who have died," said the Attorney General of the Valais region, Beatrice Pilloud. Swiss President Guy Parmelin has declared five days of mourning and described the fire as one of the most traumatic events in the country's history. "It was a tragedy of unknown proportions," he lamented.

Deadly bottleneck

He Constellation It's a bar and club located underground with only one entrance via a central staircase, which created a fatal bottleneck when the fire spread and the crowd tried to escape. Several witnesses described a human avalanche rushing toward a narrow doorway, with screams, thick smoke, and scenes that many have compared to "a war." Anaïs, a seventeen-year-old from Geneva and a regular at the establishment, explained on the Swiss website 24hiedas She and her friends were supposed to be there, but ultimately didn't go. "I'm in shock. We could have been there," she said, still shaken. Several witnesses described moments of panic, crying, and disoriented people in the street. Other survivors stated that there were no age checks at the entrance and that the bar was usually packed, especially during the winter season. A man in his thirties recounted thick, black smoke billowing from the establishment, with people on fire and others unconscious on the floor: "It was an apocalyptic scene."

Possible causes

Although the cause of the fire is still unknown, police explained that the blaze released flammable gases that ignited violently and caused an explosion. Several witnesses indicated that pyrotechnic devices placed on bottles may have started the fire by igniting the ceiling. The municipality, with 10,000 inhabitants, had banned New Year's Eve fireworks due to the drought. However, several Swiss media outlets suggest that the fire may have started when pyrotechnic devices were used during a concert. Two women who were inside the venue told BFMTV that a waiter was carrying a waitress on his shoulders with a bottle containing a lit candle. According to their account, the candle ignited the wooden ceiling, and the flames spread until part of the structure collapsed.

Several videos recorded by partygoers and broadcast by the local press show the fire starting, with flames spreading across the ceiling.

At a press conference this morning, Mathias Reynard, president of the Valais region, lamented that what should have been a moment of celebration "turned into a nightmare." Police commander Frédéric Gisler spoke of "several dozen fatalities" and added that he felt "devastated" by the tragedy. "What was meant to be a moment of joy has turned, on the first day of the year in Crans-Montana, into a mourning that affects the entire country and beyond," said Swiss President Guy Parmelin, expressing his condolences. Parmelin assumed the presidency today, a position shared annually by the seven members of the Swiss government. Out of respect for the victims' families, he postponed his traditional New Year's Eve address to the nation, which was scheduled for this afternoon, and five days of mourning have been declared.

Crans-Montana is a luxury resort located in the heart of the Swiss Alps, approximately two hours from the country's capital, Bern. It is one of the most prominent competition venues on the Alpine Ski World Cup circuit and will, in fact, host the 2027 World Championships. In four weeks, the resort will bring together the world's best downhill skiers for their final competitions before the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games. It is also a premier venue for international golf. The Crans-sur-Sierre club hosts the European Masters every August.