A New Year’s Eve party in the Swiss Alps turned into one of the region’s deadliest tragedies in years after a fast-moving fire tore through a packed bar in Crans-Montana, killing at least 40 people and injuring more than 100 others, authorities confirmed Thursday.
The blaze erupted just after 1:30 a.m. inside Le Constellation, a popular nightlife spot in the luxury ski resort town. What began as a festive celebration quickly spiraled into panic as flames spread across the wooden interior, trapping scores of young partygoers.
Officials said 115 people were injured, many of them severely. Reports indicate at least 22 of the most serious burn victims are between ages 16 and 26, underscoring the devastating impact on young visitors.
“This evening should have been a moment of celebration and coming together, but it turned into a nightmare,” said regional government head Mathias Reynard.
Authorities Describe a Scene of “Devastation”
During an early briefing, Valais Canton police commander Frédéric Gisler said “several tens of people” had been killed in the initial count. Hours later, he confirmed that recovery teams were still identifying victims and notifying families, adding that the community is “devastated.”
Helicopters, ambulances, and rescue teams from across the region rushed into the mountains to treat survivors, many of whom were tourists.
Two women who spoke to BFMTV recalled seeing a male bartender carrying a female bartender who held a bottle with a lit candle, which ignited the wooden ceiling. They told the outlet that flames raced across the interior so quickly that the ceiling collapsed within moments.
One witness described a crushing surge of people scrambling up a narrow staircase from a basement nightclub, fighting to reach a small exit. Another said people smashed windows to escape while frantic parents arrived by car, desperate to learn whether their children were trapped inside.
A young man who watched from across the street said it looked “like a horror movie,” describing about 20 people clawing their way out through smoke and fire.
Survivors Recall “Total Chaos”
Among those who made it out was 16-year-old Parisian Axel Clavier, who told the Associated Press the inside of the bar descended into “total chaos.” One of his friends died; others are missing.
Clavier said he did not witness the fire’s ignition, but he did see waitresses bring out Champagne with sparklers. As the smoke thickened, he felt like he was suffocating, hid behind a table, then sprinted upstairs. He used a table to break a Plexiglas window, which “fell out of its casing,” allowing him to escape.
Hospitals Overwhelmed As Burn Victims Flood In
Reynard confirmed that the regional hospital’s intensive care and operating rooms reached full capacity in a matter of hours. Swiss authorities later said the Valais unit was completely full and that Italy opened a major burns center in Milan to help treat victims.
University Hospital of Lausanne director Claire Charmet told 24 Heures that most victims suffered burns covering more than 20 percent of their bodies. Recovery will take “weeks, if not months.”
Italy’s ambassador to Switzerland, Gian Lorenzo Cornado, told RAI that thirteen of the injured are Italian, and six Italian nationals remain unaccounted for.
Investigators Explore A Possible Flashover
Emergency officials believe the fire may have triggered combustible gases that ignited violently, creating what firefighters call a flashover or backdraft.
Valais Canton attorney general Beatrice Pilloud said it is too early to determine the cause. Terrorism has been ruled out.
“At no moment is there a question of any kind of attack,” she said, stressing that the number of people inside the bar remains “currently totally unknown,” though the venue’s maximum capacity will be part of the investigation.
“For the time being, we don’t have any suspects,” Pilloud added.
Police spokesperson Gaëtan Lathion said investigators are only at the beginning of their work, noting that Crans-Montana is “an internationally renowned ski resort with lots of tourists.”
Community Grieves As Switzerland Mourns
Authorities urged residents and visitors to exercise caution to avoid further medical emergencies during the busy ski season. The town sits deep in the Swiss Alps, roughly 25 miles north of the Matterhorn.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin posted a message offering condolences, saying the government’s “thoughts go to the victims, to the injured and their relatives, to whom it addresses its sincere condolences.”
Rescue teams worked through the day amid mangled debris and charred wood, pulling survivors from collapsed sections of the building and escorting families searching for loved ones.
Later in the day, French soccer club FC Metz announced that 19-year-old trainee player Tahirys Dos Santos was among the wounded.
“The entire club unites its thoughts to send them to Tahirys, in these hours when he is battling the suffering,” a spokesperson said.
