Swiss ski resort blaze underscores deadly risk 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 worked to identify those killed and injured. Local attorney general Beatrice Pilloud said investigators believe the blaze began when sparkler candles, known as flares, placed on champagne bottles were taken too close to the ceiling, triggering a rapid flashover.

Officials said an inquiry will examine whether a type of foam on the bar's ceiling helped the fire spread. The accident is the latest example of how indoor fireworks and pyrotechnics have fuelled deadly nightclub fires around the world. In December 2025, 25 people were killed when electrical firecrackers were set off inside a nightclub in Arpora village, Goa, India.

In March 2025, 63 people died at the crowded Pulse club in Kocani, North Macedonia, after a pyrotechnic flame engulfed the roof during a live performance and caused a stampede. In January 2022 a fire at Liv's Nightclub Yaouba in Yaounde, Cameroon, set off explosions that killed 17 people; authorities said fireworks ignited the roof and the blaze spread to areas storing cooking gas.

The 2015 Colectiv nightclub fire in Bucharest killed 64 people after fireworks ignited insulation foam, prompting mass protests and the resignation of the prime minister and cabinet.

Key Topics

Science, World, Nightclub Fires, Indoor Fireworks, Fire Safety, Switzerland, Crans-montana