Sparklers Blamed for Deadly New Year’s Blaze at Swiss Resort Bar

Swiss investigators say sparklers attached to champagne bottles likely ignited a fast-moving New Year’s fire at Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, where 40 people died and dozens were severely burned. Prosecutor General Beatrice Pilloud said evidence and survivor interviews indicate the sparkler-topped bottles were held too close to the basement ceiling.

The sparklers were described as ordinary “birthday candles” that can be bought in shops. The blaze began in the bar’s basement, where most of the victims were found. Officials said 119 people were injured; six of the injured remained unidentified. Many victims were teenagers or people in their late teens and early 20s.

Videos and witness accounts show flames on ceiling acoustic foam and describe a sudden flashover — a rapid spread of fire that can cause a near-simultaneous ignition of materials — followed by an explosion-like event. Survivors described panic and crowded stairways that acted as the main known exit.

Bystanders, including a 17-year-old who forced open a glass door, used phone lights to guide people out. Some witnesses said foam on the ceiling had been loose days earlier. Victims were treated at hospitals across Switzerland and in neighboring France and Italy. Authorities said the injured included 71 Swiss, 14 French and 11 Italian citizens, plus people from Belgium, Poland, Portugal and other countries.

Key Topics

Sports, United States, World, Switzerland, Fire, Crans-montana, Investigation