A festive New Year’s celebration at the Le Constellation nightclub in the Swiss alpine resort of Crans-Montana turned into a catastrophic inferno in the early hours of January 1, 2026, leaving dozens dead and approximately 100 injured with severe burns. The tragedy unfolded around 01:30 local time when what witnesses describe as a massive explosion ignited the wooden-structured venue during one of the busiest tourist periods in the Alps.
Eyewitness accounts paint a harrowing picture of the disaster. An 18-year-old attendee, who requested anonymity, recounted to the BBC how he rushed toward the burning building upon fearing his younger brother was trapped inside. “I saw people burning from head to foot, no clothes anymore,” he described of the horrific scene. “It was very shocking.” His brother ultimately emerged unharmed.
French tourists Emma and Albane provided critical testimony to BFMTV, indicating the blaze may have originated from a waitress placing birthday candles atop champagne bottles. “In a matter of seconds, the entire ceiling was ablaze. Everything was made of wood,” they stated, noting how flames spread with terrifying velocity through the two-story establishment that typically accommodates up to 300 patrons.
The venue’s architecture exacerbated the tragedy. Survivors reported desperately narrow escape routes and staircases that created deadly bottlenecks as approximately 200 people attempted simultaneous evacuation within seconds. One teenager survived by breaking a window with his foot after failing to shatter it with a table, having initially hidden from a “wall of heat.
International emergency response swung into action as the nearest hospital’s intensive care unit reached capacity, necessitating patient transfers to facilities in Milan, Italy. Oleh Paska, a tourist staying nearby, recounted hearing explosions initially mistaken for firecrackers before recognizing the severity from the convergence of emergency vehicles with “different types of sirens.
The identification process presents grim challenges, with Italy’s ambassador to Switzerland warning it may require weeks due to the severity of victims’ burns. An Italian witness emotionally described friends who were “burned all over,” with one airlifted to Zurich and another initially unaccounted for following the tragedy.
The normally vibrant resort now sits under a pall of shock and mourning as families await news of loved ones, while investigators begin the meticulous process of determining the exact cause of one of Switzerland’s deadliest nightlife disasters in recent history.