Police said a blaze during New Year’s celebrations at a bar in the resort town of Crans-Montana left many dead and injured, prompting emergency measures and an international response.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Dozens of people are feared dead and at least 100 others injured after a major fire broke out during New Year’s celebrations at a bar in the Swiss Alps, authorities said Thursday.
The fire erupted in the early hours of Jan. 1 at the Le Constellation bar in the upscale ski resort of Crans-Montana, located in the Canton of Valais. Police said more than 100 people were inside the building when the blaze began around 1:30 a.m.
“Several dozen people are presumed dead,” Frédéric Gisler, police commander for Valais, told a morning press conference, according to a report by SwissInfo.
Gisler said all injured individuals had been transported to hospitals in Sion, Lausanne, Geneva, and Zurich, adding that victims were believed to be of multiple nationalities due to the resort’s international clientele.
The Italian Foreign Ministry later issued a statement citing information from local authorities and estimating the death toll at approximately 40. The ministry said the victims were not identifiable because of the severity of the burns.
Two French nationals were confirmed among the injured, according to a post by a spokesperson for the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs.
Police spokesperson Gaëtan Lathion said investigators are still in the early stages of examining the incident.
“More than a hundred people were in the building, and we are seeing many injured and many dead,” Lathion said, noting that Crans-Montana is an internationally renowned ski destination with a large number of tourists.
Valais Attorney General Beatrice Pilloud said it was too early to determine the cause of the fire, as investigators had not yet been able to safely enter the burned structure. She emphasized, however, that authorities do not suspect any kind of attack.
Fire officials described the blaze as an “embrasement généralisé,” a term used to describe a sudden ignition of combustible gases that can lead to what English-speaking firefighters call a flashover or backdraft.
Police established a reception center and helpline for affected families and imposed a no-fly zone over the resort as emergency operations continued. Authorities also sealed off the surrounding area.
The Council of State of Valais declared a “special situation” at 9 a.m. local time, allowing the canton to mobilize additional resources.
Crans-Montana, home to about 10,000 residents, sits in the heart of the Swiss Alps roughly 25 miles north of the Matterhorn and about 81 miles south of Zurich. The resort was formally established in 2017 following the merger of several municipalities and spans terrain from the Rhône Valley up to the Plaine Morte glacier.
Authorities said the investigation is ongoing as rescue and recovery efforts continue.
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