Around 40 people were killed and 100 others injured, many of them seriously, after an explosion tore through a crowded bar during New Year’s Eve celebrations in the Swiss resort town of Crans-Montana, officials confirmed on Thursday. Authorities believe the blast, which triggered a major fire, was accidental.
Fire Engulfs Popular Nightspot
The blaze broke out at around 1.30 a.m. (0030 GMT) inside Le Constellation, a popular bar in the upscale ski resort in southwestern Switzerland. The cause of the explosion remains under investigation, but prosecutors have ruled out foul play.
“At the moment we are considering this a fire and not an attack,” prosecutor Beatrice Pilloud told a press conference. “A full investigation has been opened.”
Police said the fire spread rapidly through the venue, which was packed with holiday revellers. Many suffered severe burns. The entire area was cordoned off, and a no-fly zone was established over Crans-Montana. Emergency teams deployed 10 helicopters and 40 ambulances to transport victims to hospitals in Sion, Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich.
Country in Mourning
Valais canton’s head of security, Stephane Ganzer, confirmed that some of the victims were foreign nationals. Police chief Frederic Gisler said a helpline had been opened for relatives. “I can’t hide from you that we are all shaken by what happened overnight in Crans,” he said. “Our count is about 100 injured, most seriously, and unfortunately tens of people are presumed dead.”
Although Gisler declined to specify the exact death toll, Italy’s foreign ministry reported information from Swiss police indicating that about 40 people had died.
Swiss Federal President Guy Parmelin expressed condolences on social media platform X, writing, “What was meant to be a moment of joy turned, on the first day of the year in Crans-Montana, into mourning that touches the entire country and far beyond.”
Investigators Examine Possible Fireworks Link
Prosecutor Pilloud said forensic teams were working intensively to identify victims and return their remains to families as quickly as possible. “A lot of resources have been put into forensics to identify the victims,” she said.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told Sky TG24 television that the explosion might have been triggered by fireworks. “It seems to have been an accident caused by a fire, by some explosion, by some firecracker thrown during New Year’s celebrations,” he said.
The incident has cast a shadow over the start of the new year in Switzerland, with residents of the usually serene alpine resort reeling from one of the country’s deadliest peacetime disasters.
with inputs from Reuters
