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A fire at a bar at an upscale Swiss ski resort has killed nearly 40 people and injured 115, local police said, adding that an investigation is underway to determine the cause.
Police and firefighters arrive at the scene of a fire during New Year’s celebrations at Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, a town in the Valais region of Switzerland.
“We have identified about 40 people who have been killed and 115 injured, many of whom are seriously injured,” Valais police commander Friedrich Geisler said at a news conference Thursday afternoon. He said some of the victims were expected to be foreign nationals.
Although the cause of the incident remains unclear, local authorities have ruled out an attack or the use of an explosive device.
Beatrice Pillaud, Prosecutor-General of Valais, said “several” other hypotheses for the cause were being examined and investigators were reviewing witness testimony and mobile phone footage. He said a mass conflagration – a large fire that spreads rapidly – had occurred and was followed by an explosion.
Eyewitnesses suggested to French broadcaster BFMTV that pyrotechnic candles may have been involved in the fire, although Pillaud said it was too early to draw conclusions. “As of now, we don’t have any suspects,” he said.
Speaking on Italian broadcaster Sky TG24, Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said about 16 Italians were reported missing and between 12 and 15 were in hospital after the fire, although he stressed that the numbers were still fluctuating.
The French Foreign Ministry said nine French citizens were among the injured and eight others were missing. He said three injured persons had been transferred to French hospitals in Lyon and Paris.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin said the fire was “one of the worst tragedies our country has experienced”.
He canceled his scheduled New Year’s message on Thursday, but said “there must always be hope”. Flags will fly at half-mast in the Swiss capital for the next five days, Parmelin said.
Emergency services were alerted at around 1.30am after smoke was detected inside the bar in the center of the Crans-Montana resort.
According to officials, around 42 ambulances, 13 helicopters and around 150 medical staff were mobilized. Many victims suffered severe burns and some were being transferred to hospitals in neighboring countries, as Swiss hospitals were under immense pressure.
Valais’ security chief Stephen Ganzer declined to confirm whether there were minors in the bar, saying only that it was “a young, festive crowd”. Authorities have not yet determined how many people were inside the venue when the fire broke out.
Crans-Montana is a well-known luxury resort in south-west Switzerland, about 180 km east of Geneva, which attracts 3 million visitors a year, according to its official tourism website. Famous for its upscale restaurants, shops and golf courses, as well as winter sports, it regularly hosts international events. Ski World Cup races are scheduled to take place in the city later this month.
Other alpine resorts, including Verbier, canceled New Year’s fireworks displays in a show of solidarity.
Additional contributions from Gloria Lee in Hong Kong, Adrienne Klasa in Paris and Amy Kazmin in Rome
