Dozens Killed and Over 100 Injured in Fire at Swiss Alpine Bar During New Year’s Celebration
About 40 people were killed and at least 115 others injured, most of them seriously, after a fire tore through a New Year’s celebration at a bar in the Swiss Alpine resort of Crans-Montana less than two hours after midnight Thursday, according to police.
Authorities said they did not immediately have an exact death toll as emergency crews continued recovery and identification efforts. The popular resort, best known internationally for skiing and golf, was shaken as the crowded Le Constellation bar turned from a scene of celebration into one of the deadliest tragedies Switzerland has seen in years.
Valais Canton police commander Frédéric Gisler said during a news conference that authorities are working to identify the victims and notify their families, calling the community “devastated.” He added that the process would take several days due to the scale of the disaster.
Valais Canton Attorney General Beatrice Pilloud said it was too early to determine the cause of the fire, noting that investigators have not yet been able to fully enter the damaged structure. She stressed that there was no indication of an attack.
“At no moment is there a question of any kind of attack,” Pilloud said, adding that investigators have not arrested anyone and that an inquiry has been opened to determine the circumstances surrounding the fire. She said the number of people inside the bar at the time remains unknown and that capacity limits will be part of the investigation.
Survivors described scenes of panic and confusion as the fire spread rapidly. Axel Clavier, a 16-year-old from Paris who escaped the blaze, told The Associated Press that conditions inside the bar quickly descended into “total chaos.” One of his friends died in the fire, and several others were unaccounted for at the time he spoke.
Clavier said he felt like he was suffocating and initially hid behind a table before running upstairs and breaking through a Plexiglas window to escape. He lost personal belongings while fleeing but said he was grateful to have survived. “I’m still in shock,” he said.
Other witnesses told French broadcaster BFMTV that they saw flames spread rapidly, causing the wooden ceiling to collapse. Some described a surge of people attempting to escape through narrow stairways and exits, while others recalled smashing windows to get out. Several witnesses likened the scenes to a nightmare as injured people struggled to escape and families rushed toward the area in fear their loved ones were trapped inside.
Officials said the fire may have triggered the release of combustible gases, leading to an intense ignition known to firefighters as a flashover or backdraft. Mathias Reynard, head of the Valais regional government, said what should have been a joyful celebration instead became a devastating tragedy.
Hospitals in the region were quickly overwhelmed due to the high number of injured victims. Reynard said intensive care units and operating rooms reached capacity, prompting authorities to ask residents and visitors to exercise caution in the coming days to avoid additional medical emergencies.
Crans-Montana is located less than five kilometers from Sierre, the site of a deadly 2012 bus crash that killed 28 people, many of them children. The resort sits in the heart of the Alps and is a major destination on the World Cup skiing circuit, with upcoming international events scheduled ahead of the Milan-Cortina Olympics.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin, speaking on his first day in office, acknowledged the trauma faced by emergency responders and the nation as a whole.
“This Thursday must be a time of prayer, unity, and dignity,” Parmelin said. “Switzerland is a strong country not because it is sheltered from tragedy, but because it knows how to face it with courage and solidarity.”
Authorities said the investigation remains ongoing, and additional updates will be released as more confirmed information becomes available.
