Around 40 people were killed and more than 100 injured when a fire tore through a Swiss ski resort bar packed with young revellers during New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Witnesses described horrific scenes as flames engulfed the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, an upscale Alpine resort in southwestern Switzerland, at 1.30am yesterday.
Locals said the bar was popular with teenagers and that many of the victims are believed to be aged between 16 and 25.
Last night officials said that about 40 people had been killed and 115 injured, many in a “critical condition.”
The Swiss President, Guy Parmelin, described the blaze, which is thought to have been started accidentally by a lit sparkler, as “one of the worst tragedies our country has ever experienced”.
No information was released about the victims’ nationalities, but the Italian foreign ministry said 15 of its citizens were missing and a dozen were in hospital.
The incident happened in the luxury Alpine ski resort town of Crans Montana (Photo: Maxime Schmid/AFP/Getty Images)The UK’s embassy to Switzerland said it had not received any requests for assistance but that officials were ready to help any UK nationals in Crans-Montana, which is hosting next year’s Alpine World Ski Championships.
Video footage showed ambulances queuing and helicopters landing to take victims to nearby hospitals and specialist burns units in other Swiss cities.
Switzerland’s neighbours, France, Germany and Italy, also offered to treat burns victims in their own centres.
The interior building where a fire broke out leaving people dead and injured, during New Year’s celebration (Photo: Police Cantonale Valaisanne/AP)The fire was initially reported as explosion. The cause is under investigation but authorities said it appeared to be an accident rather than an attack.
Yesterday, witnesses and video footage suggested that the fire may have been caused when a lit sparkler inside a champagne bottle was held too close to the ceiling of the bar’s basement, setting it alight.
Italy’s ambassador to Switzerland, Gian Lorenzo Cornado, told Sky TG24 that local authorities told him the blaze was started by someone letting off a firework inside the bar which set fire to the ceiling.
Officials described how the blaze probably triggered the release of combustible gases that ignited violently and caused what firefighters call a flashover or back-draught.
“This evening should have been a moment of celebration… but it turned into a nightmare,” said Mathias Reynard, head of the regional government of the Valais Canton.
Flowers are laid on the street after a fire broke out overnight at Le Constellation bar (Photo: Harold Cunningham/Getty Images)The injured were so numerous that the intensive care unit and operating theatre at the regional hospital quickly hit full capacity.
Valais Canton police commander Frédéric Gisler said work is under way to identify the victims. The identification process could take several days because of the severity of the injuries.
Beatrice Pilloud, the region’s attorney general, said a full investigation had been opened.
She added that the number of people who were in the bar was “currently totally unknown”.
It is also likely to consider whether there were adequate escape routes and how flammable the interior was.
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Speaking on his first day in office, Parmelin said: “[Today] must be the time of prayer, unity and dignity.
“Switzerland is a strong country not because it is sheltered from drama, but because it knows how to face them with courage and a spirit of mutual help.”
The King said he is “greatly saddened”, adding, “It is utterly heartbreaking that a night of celebration for young people and families instead turned to such nightmarish tragedy.”
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