A fire swept through a crowded bar in the Swiss Alps during New Year’s celebrations early Wednesday, killing dozens of people and injuring several others, authorities said.
The blaze broke out shortly after midnight at Le Constellation, a popular bar in the resort town of Crans-Montana, where patrons had gathered to welcome the new year. Flames and thick smoke spread rapidly through the venue, prompting frantic efforts to escape.
Emergency responders arrived within minutes and evacuated victims into the cold mountain air. Ambulances and helicopters transported the injured to hospitals across the region as local medical facilities quickly reached capacity, officials said. Many of the injured were treated for burns and smoke inhalation.
Valais canton police commander Frédéric Gisler said many of the injured are in critical condition.
“The priority will be to identify those who lost their lives,” Gisler said at a news conference.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin said that many of the victims were young people and the victims include Swiss residents as well as tourists.
“Behind these numbers are faces, names, families, destinies brutally interrupted,” Parmelin said at the press conference.
Firefighters arrived on the scene within minutes, and by 5 a.m., all of the injured were receiving treatment and being taken to hospitals.
Authorities have not yet determined what caused the fire. Investigators are examining whether an open flame used during the celebration may have ignited the bar’s low wooden ceiling or interior furnishings. Officials cautioned that the investigation remains in its early stages.
Police said there was no indication the fire was deliberate.
The incident stunned the alpine resort community, a popular destination for winter tourism that draws visitors from across Europe. Officials began the process of identifying victims and notifying families, while support centers and emergency hotlines were set up for survivors and relatives.
Local and national leaders expressed condolences as Switzerland marked the start of the new year in mourning.
