At least 40 killed, over 100 injured in New year’s eve bar fire at Swiss Alpine ski resort
At least 40 people were killed and more than 115 injured , many of them critically, after a devastating fire tore through the Le Constellation bar at a luxury hotel in the Swiss Alpine resort of Crans-Montana, located in south-western Switzerland , during New Year celebrations, authorities said on Thursday.
The blaze erupted at the Le Constellation bar shortly before 2 a.m., turning what had been a festive gathering into one of Switzerland’s deadliest civilian tragedies in decades. Officials said the exact number of people inside the venue at the time of the fire remains unknown, complicating rescue and identification efforts.
Valais Canton police commander Frédéric Gisler said emergency teams are still working to identify victims and notify families, describing the local community as “devastated.” Switzerland has announced five days of national mourning.
Authorities stressed that it is too early to determine the cause of the fire. Beatrice Pilloud, the Valais Canton attorney general, said investigators have not yet been able to fully access the wreckage due to structural instability.
“At no moment is there a question of any kind of attack,” Pilloud said, ruling out terrorism. “An investigation has been opened not against anyone, but to illuminate the circumstances of this dramatic fire.”
No arrests have been made, and there are currently no suspects, officials said.
Survivors described scenes of panic as smoke and flames rapidly engulfed the packed basement nightclub. Several witnesses told French broadcaster BFMTV that the fire may have started moments after staff brought out Champagne bottles accompanied by sparklers or open flames, a common but risky celebratory practice.
According to eyewitness accounts, flames quickly spread to the wooden ceiling, which collapsed, while crowds surged toward narrow staircases and exits. Some patrons smashed windows to escape, while others were overcome by smoke.
Axel Clavier , a 16-year-old tourist from Paris who survived the blaze, told The Associated Press that he felt he was suffocating before escaping through a broken Plexiglas window. One of his friends died, and several others remain missing.
“I’m still in shock,” he said. “But I’m alive and that’s what matters.”
As investigators begin their probe, serious questions have emerged over fire safety at the venue, which was operating inside a major hotel in one of Switzerland’s most prominent tourist resorts on the busiest night of the year. Authorities said the bar’s maximum capacity and compliance with fire protection norms will be central to the investigation, though it remains unclear whether sprinklers, smoke ventilation systems or sufficient emergency exits were in place or functioning.
“The number of people present is currently totally unknown,” Valais Canton attorney general Beatrice Pilloud said, adding that overcrowding cannot be ruled out.
The scale of the disaster overwhelmed local hospitals, with intensive care units and operating theatres reaching capacity within hours, regional government head Mathias Reynard said. At least 13 Italian nationals were injured and six remain unaccounted for, prompting Italy to transfer three critically wounded patients to Milan. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said he plans to visit the site.
As families of the missing await identification of victims, expected to take several days, Switzerland has entered a period of mourning. Crans-Montana, a luxury Alpine resort known for hosting World Cup skiing and major golf events, is scheduled to stage key races ahead of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics next month.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin praised emergency responders and called for unity, as pressure mounts on investigators to explain how such a catastrophic fire occurred at a high-profile venue during peak holiday celebrations.