Swiss New Year nightclub inferno highlights dangers of indoor fireworks
At least 40 people died in a New Year's Eve fire at the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana as emergency services work to identify those killed and injured. Local attorney general Beatrice Pilloud said the blaze "would appear" to have started from sparkler candles, also known as flares, which had been placed on top of champagne bottles and taken too close to the ceiling, triggering a rapid flashover.
Officials said an investigation will examine whether a type of foam on the barâs ceiling helped the fire spread. Nightclub fires have repeatedly proved deadly when indoor pyrotechnics ignite flammable materials. Recent examples cited include a December 2025 club blaze in Goa that killed 25 after electrical firecrackers were set off; a March 2025 fire at Pulse club in North Macedonia that killed 63 when a pyrotechnic flame engulfed the roof and caused a stampede; a January 2022 blaze in Yaounde, Cameroon, that killed 17 after fireworks reportedly set a roof alight and ignited stored cooking gas; the 2015 Colectiv nightclub fire in Bucharest that killed 64 after fireworks ignited insulation foam; the 2013 Kiss nightclub fire in Brazil that killed more than 200 when a flare ignited soundproofing foam and released toxic gases; and the 2003 Station nightclub fire in Rhode Island that killed 100 after fireworks set flammable foam alight.
Experts warn people often try to leave by the same way they entered, increasing crush risks.
Key Topics
Sports, United States, World, Nightclubs, Fire Safety, Pyrotechnics, Crans-montana