CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland — About 40 people were killed and 115 others injured, most seriously, after a fire tore through the Le Constellation bar at Crans-Montana, a renowned Swiss Alpine resort, during New Year’s celebrations, authorities said.
Valais Canton police commander Frédéric Gisler said officials are working to identify the victims and notify their families, describing the local community as “devastated.”
Thirteen of the injured were Italian citizens, while six others remain unaccounted for, Italy’s ambassador to Switzerland, Gian Lorenzo Cornado, told state-run RAI television.
Beatrice Pilloud, Valais Canton attorney general, said it was too early to determine the fire’s cause. She added that no one has been arrested and there are currently no suspects. “The investigation is not directed at anyone; it is meant to clarify the circumstances of this tragic fire,” she said.
Several witnesses described total chaos inside the crowded bar. Sixteen-year-old survivor Axel Clavier told The Associated Press that he saw people suffocating, panicking, and attempting to escape through windows. One of his friends died, and two or three remain missing.
Two women speaking to French broadcaster BFMTV said they saw bar staff carrying a lit candle in a bottle, which sparked flames that brought down the wooden ceiling. Crowds surged through a narrow basement staircase and door as they tried to escape.
The number of injured quickly overwhelmed the intensive care unit and operating theater of the regional hospital, according to Mathias Reynard, head of the Valais Canton government. Authorities urged locals to exercise caution in the coming days to avoid incidents that could further strain medical resources.
Crans-Montana is a top destination for international skiing and golf and will host the final World Cup events before the Milan-Cortina Olympics in February.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin, speaking on his first day in office, said many emergency personnel “faced scenes of indescribable violence and distress.” He called on the public to respond with “prayer, unity, and dignity” in the wake of the tragedy.
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
- EDGARDO HERNAL
- EDGARDO HERNAL
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