Dozens presumed dead in New Year’s Eve fire at Swiss ski resort
Dozens are presumed dead, and around 100 more were injured after a fire broke out during a New Year’s Eve celebration at a bar in the Swiss Alps. The fire started at about 1:30 a.m. local time in a bar called “Le Constellation” in the Alpine ski resort municipality of Crans-Montana.
The location is about two hours from the Swiss capital of Bern in a region known as Valais Canton.
“What was a moment of joy turned into a tragedy in Crans-Montana last night, felt across the country and beyond,” Switzerland’s president, Guy Parmelin, wrote on X.
Dozens killed, 100 injured
A police spokesman says there were more than 100 revelers in the bar at the time of the fire. He noted “several dozen” people are now presumed dead, with dozens more injured.
He did not give a specific number.
“We’re just at the beginning of our investigation,” the spokesman said. “This is an internationally renowned ski resort with lots of tourists.”
However, according to NBC News, Italy’s foreign ministry said in a statement that Swiss police believed around 40 people had died in the fire.
The ministry said victims could not be immediately identified due to the severity of their burns.
NBC News reports that a local hospital quickly had to redirect patients from the fire to other intensive care units because its own reached full capacity.
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What caused the fire?
Officials say it is still too early to determine the cause of the fire and a subsequent explosion. However, “at no moment is there a question of any kind of attack,” said Beatrice Pilloud, attorney general of the Valais Canton.
Police from the region imposed a no-fly zone over Crans-Montana. The town has about 10,000 residents and has around 2,800 hotel beds.
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