About 40 killed and more than 100 injured in New Year’s fire at Crans‑Montana bar

About 40 people were killed and roughly 115 were injured, many seriously, when a fire ripped through Le Constellation, a bar in the ski resort town of Crans‑Montana in the canton of Valais, during New Year’s celebrations, authorities said. Smoke was first seen around 1:30 a.m., officials said, and an explosion followed as the blaze spread.

Many of the victims were young people who had gathered to mark the New Year. Frédéric Gisler, commander of the canton police, gave the preliminary toll: “As I speak, we are counting around 40 people dead and approximately 115 injured, most of them seriously.” President Guy Parmelin called the blaze “one of the worst tragedies our country has ever experienced” and postponed a scheduled New Year’s address to travel to the scene.

Emergency services sent helicopters, ambulances and specialized jets; the nearest hospital in Sion was quickly overwhelmed and victims were moved to facilities in Lausanne, Zurich, Geneva and Bern, and to hospitals abroad. Swiss burn units were strained and transfers to neighboring countries began, officials said.

Authorities said they have launched an investigation to “shed light on the circumstances” and ruled out terrorism. Beatrice Pilloud, the regional prosecutor general, said, “We have no suspects,” and that police were interviewing witnesses and analyzing phones left at the scene. Cordons and a no‑fly zone were imposed around the site.

Key Topics

Business, World, Switzerland, Fire, Crans‑montana, New Year, Emergency Response