A fire tore through a New Year celebration at a bar in the Swiss Alpine resort of Crans-Montana shortly after midnight, leaving dozens feared dead and around 100 people injured, many of them seriously, police said.
At a news conference, Valais Canton police commander Frederic Gisler said “several tens of people” were presumed to have been killed in the blaze at the bar.
Eyewitnesses Describe How Fire Started
While Valais Canton attorney general Beatrice Pilloud said it was too early to determine the cause, two French eyewitnesses, Emma and Albane, told BFMTV that the fire appeared to have started when a candle was held too close to the ceiling.
According to their account, a waitress had placed birthday candles on champagne bottles, which were then lifted towards the ceiling. “In a matter of seconds, the entire ceiling was ablaze. Everything was made of wood,” they said.
Narrow Exits Hampered Evacuation
The witnesses said flames spread rapidly, engulfing even the first floor. Evacuation proved extremely difficult due to a narrow escape route and even narrower stairs leading outside. They recalled that around 200 people tried to flee the bar within 30 seconds.
Young Victims Among The Most Serious Cases
The BBC reported that most of the victims were aged between 16 and 26 and were among “the most serious cases”.
Police clarified that the incident was not a terrorist attack but a fire. The area has been completely sealed, and a no-fly zone has been imposed over Crans-Montana, authorities said.
Hospitals Overwhelmed By Injured
With the number of injured mounting, the intensive care unit and operating theatre at the regional hospital quickly reached full capacity, said Mathias Renard, head of the regional government.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin said in a social media post that the government’s “thoughts go to the victims, to the injured and their relatives, to whom it addresses its sincere condolences.”
Crans-Montana is a luxury ski resort town in the Valais region of the Swiss Alps, located about two hours from the capital, Bern.
