CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland — A catastrophic fire that erupted during New Year’s celebrations at a popular Alpine bar has claimed 40 lives, marking one of Switzerland’s deadliest tragedies in modern history. The blaze, which tore through the crowded Le Constellation bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana early Thursday, also left 119 people injured, according to official reports.
Investigators revealed Friday that sparkling candles atop Champagne bottles ignited the fatal inferno when flames made contact with the ceiling decor of the packed establishment. The tragedy has united this multilingual nation in grief, with condolences expressed across French, Italian, German, and English languages reflecting Switzerland’s cultural diversity.
Heartbreaking accounts emerged from survivors and responders who described scenes of chaos and heroism. Fourteen-year-old Marc-Antoine Chavanon recounted to The Associated Press how he rushed to assist victims: “We were bringing people out, people were collapsing. We saw people screaming, running. There was one of our friends: She was struggling to get out, she was all burned. You can’t imagine the pain I saw.”
The search for missing loved ones continued through Friday as distraught mother Laetitia Brodard pleaded for information about her 16-year-old son Arthur: “I’m looking everywhere. The body of my son is somewhere. I want to know where is my child, and be by his side.”
Regional hospital director Eric Bonvin described the psychological impact on the community: “This place was very well known as somewhere to celebrate the new year. Seeing young people arrive — that’s always traumatic.”
Swiss President Guy Parmelin, speaking on his first day in the annually rotating position, acknowledged the nation’s resilience: “Switzerland is a strong country not because it is sheltered from drama, but because it knows how to face them with courage and a spirit of mutual help.”
The Valais region’s attorney general Beatrice Pilloud emphasized that identification of victims remains the priority to allow families to begin mourning. Pope Leo expressed condolences through a telegram to the bishop of Sion, praying for the deceased to be “welcomed into His abode of peace and light.”