Shortly before noon a middle-aged man dropped to his knees in the middle of the street and sobbed out loud in front of the disaster zone in the heart of Crans-Montana.
He was the living embodiment of the grief felt across this tight-knit, tourist-dependent community renowned for the beauty of its setting on a sunny plateau high in the Swiss Alps. .
While it appeared to be business as usual for those on the nearby ski slopes and on the open-air ice rink in the town centre, there was no mistaking the grief and sorrow etched on the faces of the many who came throughout the day to lay flowers and light candles near the scene of Thursday’s tragic events.
They had to find their way through a battery of TV cameras to reach the growing pile of tributes to the 40 people who lost their lives. Many left messages of hope for the 119 burn victims in hospitals across Switzerland and neighbouring Italy and France.
One message read: “May all the parents and friends receive warmth and strength. May they find strength and love to smooth their broken heart. May they find a compassionate support.”
A message left near the scene of the fatal fire in Crans-Montana. Photograph; Denis McClean
An indication of the international magnitude of the tragedy was the unexpected arrival of the Italian minister for foreign affairs and deputy prime minister Antonio Tajani, who found himself quickly encircled by TV cameras and journalists as he got out of his car. Several Italian tourists are among the dead, missing and injured.
He was visibly moved as he walked down the street towards the tents and the tarpaulins that cover the disaster zone and above which the Constellation lounge and wine bar advertises itself as a venue for live music.
Swiss authorities have warned that the task of identifying all those who died will take time and will rely heavily on DNA samples and dental records. The grave state of many who are being treated for burn injuries has made it difficult to establish all their identities.
Limerick woman Aileen Ryan, originally from Cappamore, told The Irish Times of her relief at learning that her 20-year-old stepdaughter, Ella Borgnana, a university student, was unable to gain entry to the bar when she went there with friends to continue their new year celebration.
Ryan, who runs a bakery and tea rooms, Les Moulins, in nearby Vevey, said: “We did not realise she had gone to Crans-Montana until New Year’s Day. They went to dinner in Sion with friends and they heard there was a good buzz in Crans-Montana so they did a Google search because a lot of places hike up their prices for new year. Luckily when they got there, they couldn’t get in.”
Borgnana recalls walking near the bar when they decided to return home.
“We didn’t pay attention to any sounds of explosions or screams as everyone was celebrating and there were fireworks and firecrackers everywhere,” she said.
“Then I saw a man in his 20s, wearing only his underwear and a Santa hat. His body was completely red. He was running in distress, and people were trying to keep him calm. As I got closer I realised he was burned from head to toe.
“I will never forget the screams, the smell, the burned bodies and the looks of pure fear. We almost went into that bar. We were lucky.”
Mourners gather near Le Constellation bar, where a fire broke out during New Year’s celebrations. Photograph: Maxime Schmid/AFP/Getty Images
While an in-depth investigation is under way, Ryan is among those who are upset and astonished at the apparent cavalier attitude towards fire safety evident in images posted on social media and verified by the French news channel BFMTV.
Accustomed as she is to a strict regime of fire inspection for her tea-rooms, she says she cannot understand how bottles of Champagne with lit sparklers attached to them were permitted in such a confined space.
“I have a tea room in Vevey and I have an inspection every two years by the authorities in the Vaud canton. I had to remove two chairs to satisfy them after one inspection,” she says.
Swiss president Guy Parmelin said the country would observe five days of national mourning, calling the fire one of the most traumatic events in Switzerland’s history.
For the families and friends of the young victims, most of whom have yet to be identified, many more days of trauma and suffering lie ahead.