At least 40 people are feared dead and more than 100 injured after a devastating fire swept through a bar at a popular ski resort in southern Switzerland during New Year celebrations, police authorities have confirmed.
The blaze broke out at about 1:30 a.m. on Thursday at Le Constellation, a crowded bar in the resort town of Crans-Montana in the Valais region. Emergency services said 115 people sustained injuries, many of them severe, with dozens suffering critical burns and smoke inhalation.
Swiss authorities have ruled out any form of attack, stressing that investigations are still ongoing to determine the cause of the fire.
Regional police commander Frédéric Gisler said the immediate priority was the identification of victims to enable their bodies to be returned swiftly to grieving families.
“This is a complex and painful process, especially given the number of foreign nationals involved,” Gisler said.
Rescue efforts continued through the night, with an extensive emergency response involving 13 helicopters, 42 ambulances and more than 150 emergency personnel deployed to the scene.
Valais regional governor Mathias Reynard said the local hospital system was under immense pressure. Sixty of the injured were taken to Sion Hospital, whose intensive care unit reached full capacity within hours. Several critically injured victims were transferred to specialist burns units in Lausanne, Zurich and Geneva.
Medical officials said many victims suffered third-degree burns and internal injuries caused by inhaling toxic smoke. Doctors treating patients described the intensity of the fire as extreme, noting that some victims were between 15 and 25 years old.
Fire experts have suggested that a “flashover” effect — a rapid spread of flames across the ceiling followed by near-instantaneous ignition of the entire room — may have contributed to the high death toll, though this remains under investigation.
The tragedy has affected multiple nationalities. Italian authorities said at least 16 Italian nationals were missing, with several others hospitalised, including three evacuated to Milan for specialist treatment. France also confirmed that eight of its citizens were missing, with French nationals among the injured. Swiss officials said the full list of victims and their nationalities had not yet been established.
State councillor Stéphane Ganzer described the bar as hosting a “young, festive crowd” at the time of the incident, adding that officials did not yet know how many people were inside when the fire broke out.
Attorney General Beatrice Pilloud said investigators were examining “several hypotheses” surrounding the cause of the fire, including building safety features and evacuation routes, but emphasised that no conclusions had been reached.
“At no point is there any indication of an attack,” Pilloud said, adding that witness interviews and forensic analysis were ongoing.
A vigil was held on Thursday evening outside the destroyed bar as residents and tourists gathered to mourn the victims.
Swiss authorities have set up a helpline for relatives seeking information about missing loved ones, as identification efforts are expected to take days and possibly weeks due to the scale of the disaster.
