Blaze at Popular Swiss Bar Kills About 40 and Shocks Mountain Village

A fire tore through Le Constellation, a two-story bar in the Swiss resort village of Crans-Montana, after midnight on New Year’s Day, killing around 40 people and leaving the community in shock.

Switzerland’s president called the blaze one of the country’s worst disasters. Survivors described panic as customers tried to escape, with some people trampled and others badly burned.

Le Constellation was a favored spot for the village’s younger residents. Regulars said the bar offered affordable drinks, hot chocolate and billiards, and usually did not charge an entrance fee, which drew a particularly young crowd.

Several hundred mourners, many of them young, gathered near the cordoned-off site seeking news and comfort. Some victims were badly disfigured and difficult to identify; many were taken to hospitals in other parts of the country.

Witnesses recounted frantic scenes. A 17-year-old who arrived to find the bar ablaze described people trampling one another. Other residents spoke of friends and coworkers who were missing, badly hurt or confirmed dead after initial reports.

Those who knew the bar’s regulars said the tragedy felt deeply personal. Many reflected on how a night meant to mark new beginnings had instead ended in loss for people who had gone to celebrate.

Key Topics

World, France, Switzerland, Fire, Crans-montana, Youth, New Year