About 40 people lost their lives and 115 others were injured, many critically, after a fire tore through a bar during New Year celebrations at a Swiss Alpine resort, less than two hours after midnight on Thursday, police confirmed.
Authorities have not yet determined the exact number of casualties.
The Crans-Montana resort, renowned for its ski and golf facilities, saw its Le Constellation bar transform from a festive gathering into the scene of one of Switzerland’s deadliest tragedies. The nation has announced five days of mourning.
Valais Canton police commander Frédéric Gisler said authorities are working to identify the victims and notify their families, describing the community as devastated.
Thirteen of the injured are Italian nationals, while six Italians remain unaccounted for, according to Italy’s ambassador to Switzerland, Gian Lorenzo Cornado.
Beatrice Pilloud, Valais Canton attorney general, noted that it is too early to determine the cause of the fire, as investigators have yet to enter the wreckage.
“At no moment is there a question of any kind of attack,” Pilloud said.
She added that the number of people in the bar at the time is currently totally unknown and that its maximum capacity will form part of the investigation.
“For the time being, we don’t have any suspect,” Pilloud continued, adding that the probe aims not against anyone, but to illuminate the circumstances of the fire.
Gisler emphasized that the immediate focus remains identifying the victims, a process that will have to take several days, according to the police commander.
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