CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland, Jan 1 (Reuters) — Dozens of people were killed and around 100 injured, most of them seriously, after a fire tore through a crowded bar during New Year’s Eve celebrations at the upscale Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana, officials said on Thursday.
The fire broke out around 1:30 a.m. (0030 GMT) at a bar called Le Constellation, located in southwestern Switzerland. The venue, according to locals, was popular with teenagers.
While the blaze was initially reported as an explosion, authorities later said it appeared to be an accident rather than a deliberate attack.
Swiss police said “tens” of people were presumed dead, with about 100 injured. Italy’s foreign ministry, citing Swiss police, put the death toll at around 40, though Swiss officials declined to confirm an exact figure.
“There were people screaming, and then people lying on the ground, probably dead,” said Samuel Rapp, a 21-year-old local who witnessed the aftermath. “They had jackets over their faces — that’s what I saw.”
Ceiling caught fire 
Video footage showed ambulances lining the streets and helicopters landing nearby to transport victims to hospitals and specialist burns units across Switzerland.
Two young French women who were inside the bar told France’s BFM TV that the fire started in the basement area after a bottle fitted with “birthday candles” was raised too close to the wooden ceiling.
“The fire spread across the ceiling extremely fast,” said one of the women, identified as Emma and Albane. They said they managed to escape via a narrow staircase to the ground floor before the flames spread upward minutes later.
BFM aired video showing a waitress carrying a champagne bottle topped with a lit “fountain candle” through the bar, consistent with the witnesses’ accounts, though the footage did not capture the fire igniting.
Verified video footage showed flames engulfing the building as people outside ran and screamed in panic.
Victims from several countries
Italy’s ambassador to Switzerland, Gian Lorenzo Cornado, told Sky TG24 that local authorities had informed him the fire may have been triggered by a firework set off inside the bar, igniting the ceiling. He said many Italians were in Crans-Montana seeking news of missing relatives and friends, though he could not confirm whether Italians were among the victims.
Witnesses said injured patrons were treated at improvised triage centres set up in a nearby bar and inside a branch of UBS bank. Many suffered burns and shock after escaping the intense heat into freezing night temperatures.
“Then it was just ambulances coming back and forth nonstop,” said Dominic Dubois, who witnessed bodies being removed from the scene.
A waiter at a nearby restaurant, who declined to be named, said emergency responders asked staff for tablecloths to cover bodies and shield them from public view.
By Thursday morning, the area around the bar was cordoned off, with forensic tents erected behind white screens. The calm daytime scene stood in stark contrast to the chaos that greeted first responders overnight.
“Firefighters and police officers arrived at a scene of complete chaos,” said Stephane Ganzer, head of security for Valais canton.
Authorities said some victims were foreign nationals and that hundreds of personnel were involved in rescue and investigation efforts. A helpline has been opened for relatives, while officials warned that identifying badly burned bodies would take time.
“We are all deeply shaken,” said Frederic Gisler, the canton’s head of police. “About 100 people are injured, most of them seriously, and unfortunately tens of people are presumed dead.”
Victims were transferred to hospitals in Sion, Lausanne, Geneva, and Zurich.
Local prosecutor Beatrice Pilloud said a full investigation had been launched. Swiss company records show the bar is owned by a French couple.
“At this stage, we are treating this as a fire and not considering the possibility of an attack,” she said.
Mourning
Swiss Federal President Guy Parmelin expressed shock at the tragedy, which occurred less than a year after a deadly nightclub fire in North Macedonia killed 59 people.
“What was meant to be a moment of joy turned, on the first day of the year, into mourning that touches the entire country and far beyond,” he wrote on X.
Condolences poured in from several countries, including Italy, Germany, and the United States, though the nationalities of the victims had yet to be confirmed.
Authorities said 10 helicopters and 40 ambulances were deployed, a no-fly zone was imposed over Crans-Montana, and the resort — known for its luxury hotels, boutiques, and restaurants — remains under tight security.
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