Dozens confirmed dead in fire at New Year’s party in Swiss Alps

Europe
By Editor_1
Emergency personnel work at the ‘Le Constellation’ bar, where several people died and others were injured after an explosion tore through a crowded New Year’s Eve party, according to Swiss police, in the upscale ski resort of Crans-Montana in southwestern Switzerland, on Thursday (January 1, 2026) -Denis Balibouse/Reuters

By Christopher F. Schuetze and John Yoon

CRANS-MONTANA – About 40 people were killed and more than 100 injured, many gravely, in a fire in a bar at a ski resort in the Swiss Alps during a New Year’s celebration Thursday (Jan 1). The Swiss president said it was “one of the worst tragedies our country has ever experienced”.

The blaze broke out in the early morning at Le Constellation, a bar in Crans-Montana, in the canton of Valais. Officials said they were still investigating the cause of the fire and an explosion that followed, but ruled out the possibility of a terrorist attack.

“We have no suspects,” said Beatrice Pilloud, the prosecutor general for the region. “An investigation has been launched — not against anyone, but to shed light on the circumstances surrounding this tragic fire.”

Many of the victims were young people who had gathered to celebrate the New Year. “This tragedy occurred in a place that is naturally associated with life and joy,” said President Guy Parmelin, who postponed a scheduled New Year’s address to travel to the scene.

Authorities said they were working to identify the dead and return their remains to their families. They were also interviewing witnesses and planned to analyze cellphones that were left at the scene, a prosecutor said.

“As I speak, we are counting around 40 people dead and approximately 115 injured, most of them seriously,” the commander of the canton police, Frédéric Gisler, said at a news conference Thursday evening.

Smoke was first seen emanating from the bar around 1:30 a.m., authorities said, and the central police dispatch received a call for help soon after.

Emergency services sent 10 helicopters and 40 ambulances to transport the injured to hospitals, officials said. The emergency ward and operating rooms at the nearest major medical centre ran out of space to treat the victims, they reported.

“If you want to be useful, be careful,” Mathias Reynard, a local official, advised local residents. “Do not clog emergency services with situations that can be avoided.”

Three specialized jets took burn victims to Zurich, the country’s largest city, about 90 miles away. In an interview with the Swiss news site 24 heures, Claire Charmet, the head of a hospital in Lausanne, where 22 severely burned patients were taken, said most of the survivors were between 16 and 26.

Authorities did not identify any victims, but given the popularity of the town as a tourist destination, foreign nationals were likely to be among them, officials said.

Here’s what else to know:

— Emergency response: Police said the area around the bar had been cordoned off and that a no-fly zone had been imposed over Crans-Montana, likely to make it easier for helicopters to reach the area.

— Crans-Montana: The upmarket destination caters to a mostly wealthy, sometimes famous, clientele. The region offers views of the Matterhorn, a mountain considered Switzerland’s most famous landmark, and other peaks like Mont Blanc. The town is home to roughly 10,000 people and has around 2,800 hotel beds.

— Le Constellation: The bar where the fire took place was a low-key venue, located near one of the gondolas that whisked skiers up the mountain. It was popular with a younger crowd and international visitors. The downstairs was often turned into a dance floor where DJs played and the bar would regularly broadcast sports events, like Premier League football and international rugby.

-New York Times

Editor_1
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