Switzerland: Dozens killed in bar fire in Alps resort

Switzerland has announced five days of national mourning for the victims of the Le Constellation bar fire in Crans-Montana, starting on Thursday.

Flags have been lowered to half-mast on public buildings across the country in memory of those killed.

Impromptu vigils have been held outside the cordoned-off bar site, with residents and friends laying flowers and lighting candles.

A special New Year's Mass at the Church of Montana Station drew hundreds of worshippers.

President Guy Parmelin canceled his New Year's address to the nation out of respect for the grieving families.

The process of supporting families, identifying victims and treating the injured is expected to take several days.

France said eight of its citizens remain missing after the fire at Switzerland's mountain resort of Crans‑Montana.

The French foreign ministry said it could not rule out that some of the victims may be French nationals.

President Emmanuel Macron spoke with his Swiss counterpart earlier in the day to offer support.

"Our diplomatic and consular teams are following the situation and providing the necessary assistance to our compatriots affected by this tragedy. France is welcoming the injured in its hospitals and stands ready to provide any assistance," Macron wrote on X.

Three survivors have been transferred to hospitals in France, with more medical evacuations underway, the ministry added.

The Swiss ski resort blaze has drawn comparisons to other deadly fires at public venues around the world.

Less than a month earlier, on December 9, a fire tore through a popular nightclub in Arpora, in India’s western Goa state, killing 25 people, including kitchen staff and tourists.

In March, a blaze and ensuing stampede at the packed Pulse club in Kocani, North Macedonia, left 63 dead — mostly young partygoers — and injured more than 200. The fire began when a pyrotechnic device ignited the club’s roof.

A similar New Year’s Eve fire occurred on January 1, 2009 at the Santika club in Bangkok, Thailand, after indoor fireworks set off a blaze that killed 67 people and injured many more through burns, smoke inhalation and the crush to escape.

One of the deadliest nightclub fires on record happened in November 1942 at Boston’s Cocoanut Grove in the United States, where flames raced through an overcrowded venue with inadequate exits and no sprinkler system, killing 492 people.

What we know:

• A fire at a bar at a ski resort in the Swiss Alps has killed around 40 people
• The bar was packed with revelers celebrating New Year's Eve when the fire broke out
• At least 115 people were injured, many of them seriously
• Most of the victims were young people, with the bar known to be popular with tourists and teens
• Le Constellation bar has a capacity of around 300 people
• The fire appears to have caused an explosion, police say
• Authorities have ruled out an attack
• The accident occurred in Crans-Montana, an upscale ski resort in the canton of Valais, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Geneva
• The bar is popular with tourists, suggesting that 'there will probably be victims from abroad'

What we don't know:

• Police are still probing the cause of the fire
• Reports suggest the blaze was started by candles stuck at the top of champagne bottles or fireworks
• It is unclear whether the bar had the correct emergency protocols, including emergency exits, in place, and whether fire alarms were functioning properly
• No details about the identities of the dead or injured have been released
• Valais President Mathias Reynard has warned that identification could take time

Swiss investigators have said that the deadly fire that broke out at a bar in the Swiss Alps likely caused an explosion.

Police have ruled out an attack, but were still probing the incident to learn what caused the fire.

Initial reports on Thursday morning said a fire had started after an explosion was heard.

"There are several hypotheses, but our main theory is that the entire room caught fire, leading to an explosion," Valais Attorney General Beatrice Pilloud told reporters.

Mobile phones found at the scene were being examined, she said.

Pilloud also declined to comment on reports that the fire was started by lit candles stuck in champagne bottles or fireworks.

Swiss officials have warned that identifying the victims of the fire will be a lengthy process.

Valais regional president Matthias Reynard has said that there are "many seriously injured people, many with severe burns."

He also cautioned that "identifying the bodies, including those of the injured, may take some time."

Reynard said he had just met with some of the victims' families. "Many are still waiting for information. This is a terrible moment," he said.

In remarks to reporters, Swiss President Guy Parmelin, who was in Crans-Montana with Reynard, said, "We are devastated."

"There will be inquiries so that we can find out how this tragedy could have happened. We owe it to the victims to find out the causes," Parmelin added.

The Swiss president also thanked neighboring countries France, Germany and Italy for offering to help with the aftermath of the tragedy.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said his thoughts are with those affected by the fire in Crans-Montana and their loved ones.

"A moment of joy turned into tragedy in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. These events are deeply distressing," Merz said, adding that he wishes the more than 115 injured people a full and swift recovery.

Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has also reacted to the news, saying he is "deeply shocked" by the accident.

France's President Emmanuel Macron has sent Switzerland his country's "full solidarity and fraternal support to Switzerland, its people, and its authorities" in the wake of the Crans-Montana blaze.

"Deep emotion after the fire in Crans-Montana. My thoughts are with the bereaved families and those injured," Macron said on X.

Around 40 people were killed and 115 injured in the bar fire in Crans-Montana during New Year's celebrations, Swiss police have said.

Earlier, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said the death toll stood at 47.

Switzerland's President Guy Parmelin has visited the site of the deadly fire at Crans-Montana, which he called "one of the worst tragedies" in the country's history.

Parmelin and Valais Canton president Mathias Reynard viewed the damage from the blaze at La Constellation bar, where some 40 people celebrating New Year's Eve died and 100 were injured.

The bar is popular with young people and tourists.

Parmelin confirmed to reporters that many of the victims are youth. 

"This evening should have been a moment of celebration and coming together, but it turned into a nightmare," said Reynard.

He added that there were so many injured people that the intensive care unit and operating theater at the regional hospital were quickly at full capacity.

Some of the burn victims will be transferred to neighboring countries, Reynard said.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has said at least 16 Italians have been reported missing after the fire in the Swiss Alpine resort of Crans-Montana.

Speaking to Italian television, Tajani also said "about 15 Italians" were being treated in hospital.

"I hope there are ​no (Italian) ​victims, but we cannot rule anything out," he told Sky TG24, calling the situation "chaotic".

Tajani said the fire had left at least 47 dead and 100 injured.

Officials said the blaze likely triggered the release of combustible gases that then ignited violently, causing what English-speaking firefighters describe as a flashover or backdraft.

"This evening should have been a moment of celebration and coming together, but it turned into a nightmare," said Mathias Reynard, head of the regional government.

Reynard said the number of injured was so high that the intensive care unit and operating theater at the regional hospital quickly reached full capacity.

Witnesses have described scenes of panic and confusion during the deadly fire at a bar and nightclub in the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana.

Two women told French broadcaster BFMTV they were inside when a barman was carrying a barmaid on his shoulders, with the barmaid holding a lit candle inside a bottle.

They said the candle ignited the wooden ceiling, with flames spreading rapidly before the ceiling collapsed.

One of the women described a crowd surge as people desperately tried to escape from a basement nightclub up a narrow staircase and through a small exit.

Another witness told BFMTV that people smashed windows to get out as smoke and flames filled the venue.

He said some were badly injured and described parents rushing to the scene by car, trying to find out whether their children were trapped inside.

The witness said he saw about 20 people struggling to escape the smoke and fire and compared the scene to a horror movie as he watched from across the street.