Switzerland is reeling from one of its worst tragedies after a fire ripped through an Alpine bar during a New Year’s Eve celebration, leaving more than 40 people dead and dozens of others with serious burn injuries.
While the cause of the disaster in the Crans-Montana luxury ski resort is still under investigation, video, photos and reports from witnesses suggest the blaze spread quickly across the ceiling of the packed club.
The blaze at Le Constellation appears to have started at about 1.30am (00.30 GMT) as revellers were ringing in the new year. Police arrived within minutes but the bar was already a conflagration.
The basement venue with a dancefloor served many local people, and some tourists. With no entrance fee, it attracted a young crowd and many of the victims are teenagers.
Witnesses said a bartender had carried a waitress on his shoulders, and she was holding champagne bottles containing sparklers near the low ceiling. According to officials, the fire may have triggered the release of combustible gases that could then ignite violently, explaining the rapid spread.
The undated photo below shows the bar with what could be soundproofing or insulation covering the ceiling.
The speed of the flames is evident in this video, which shows a young man attempting to put out a small fire that licks at the ceiling. Music still plays in the bar.
Crans-Montana is one of the top-ranked ski destinations in Europe. The municipality of 10,000 residents had banned New Year’s Eve fireworks because of a lack of rainfall in the past month, according to its website.
Witnesses described a crowd surge as people frantically tried to escape from the basement nightclub up a narrow flight of stairs and through a small doorway.
This video shows people rushing up the stairs.
Le Constellation had a maximum capacity of about 300 people.
People broke windows to escape the blaze, and ambulances arrived at the scene after reports of smoke. Firefighters smashed windows at a nearby apartment block to enter.
Panicked parents rushed to the scene in cars to see whether their children were trapped inside. By daylight on New Year’s Day, red-and-white caution tape, flowers and candles adorned the street where the disaster happened. Police shielded the site with white screens as forensics teams got to work.
Investigators said there was no indication of arson.
Many of the victims could not be identified immediately because of the severity of their burns. The intensive care unit and operating room at the regional hospital quickly hit full capacity, and the injured were transported to various hospitals across Switzerland.
Helicopters were sent to the scene to assist victims, who were from several countries, officials said. Switzerland ordered the national flag to be flown at half-mast for five days as a sign of mourning.
Around 15 Italians are reported missing and France said eight of its citizens were missing.