Around 40 revelers were killed and another 100 injured, most of them seriously, after an explosion ripped through a packed bar in a Swiss Alps resort town during a New Year\u2019s celebration, officials said.<\/p>\n
The deadly blaze erupted around 1:30 a.m. at the Le Constellation bar in the ritzy ski resort town of Crans-Montana in the Valais Canton.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was like a horror movie,\u201d a witness, Adrien, told BFMTV about the blaze, which is believed to have started accidentally.<\/p>\n
Rescuers at the site of an explosion that ripped through a bar in Crans-Montana on January 1, 2026. AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n
Terrifying footage taken by a New York tourist from outside shows flames ripping through the bar as witnesses scream in horror.<\/p>\n
The bar can hold up to 300 people, local media reported.<\/p>\n
Further video shows emergency services treating the wounded in the street, while survivors stand around, still in their New Year\u2019s party outfits.<\/p>\n
Witnesses believe the explosion was triggered by sparklers being held too close to the ceiling, which set the roof on fire, according to reports.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the moment we are considering this a fire and we are not considering the possibility of an attack,\u201d prosecutor Beatrice Pilloud stressed at a press conference, adding that authorities had opened a full investigation.<\/p>\n
Police officers inspect the area where a fire broke out at the Le Constellation bar and lounge. AP<\/p>\n
Police officers block off the area where a fire killed dozens. AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t hide from you that we are all shaken by what happened overnight in Crans,\u201d said the canton\u2019s head of police, Frederic Gislertold.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur count is about 100 injured, most seriously, and unfortunately tens of people are presumed dead,\u201d he said, adding that patients had been dispatched to hospitals in Sion, Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich.<\/p>\n
Many of the victims are from other countries. The Italian Foreign Ministry said information from Swiss police indicated about 40 deaths, though Gisler said it would be \u201cpremature\u201d to give a specific figure.<\/p>\n
The ritzy ski resort in Crans-Montana in the Alps in Switzerland. AP<\/p>\n
Police reported that more than 100 people were in the building during the fire. AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n
Authorities are working to get the bodies of the victims back to their families.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of resources have been put into forensics to identify the victims. These resources are intended to allow us to get the bodies to the families as soon as possible,\u201d Pilloud said.<\/p>\n
Officials described the blaze an \u201cembrasement g\u00e9n\u00e9ralis\u00e9\u201d \u2014 a firefighting term for when a fire triggers the release of combustible gases that can then spark a blast causing what English-speaking firefighters call a flashover or a backdraft.<\/p>\n
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Two young French women said waitresses were carrying bottles with sparklers inside them through the venue before one caught on the ceiling.<\/p>\n