Explosion at Swiss ski resort bar kills dozens, injures 100
An explosion during a New Year’s Eve party at a bar in a Swiss ski resort has killed dozens of people and injured 100 others.
Lens, Switzerland – An explosion in a crowded bar during a New Year’s Eve party in the luxury ski resort of Crans-Montana killed around 40 people and injured 100, most seriously, Swiss authorities said on Thursday, January 1.
The fire broke out at 1:30 a.m. at Le Constellation, a bar in a resort area in southwestern Switzerland. The cause of the explosion is unknown, but authorities said it appeared to be an accident.
“At the moment we consider this to be a fire and do not consider the possibility of an attack,” prosecutor Beatrice Piloudo told a news conference, adding that authorities had launched a full-scale investigation.
Valais security chief Stéphane Ganser said some of the victims were from other countries. The state’s police chief, Frederick Gisler, said a helpline had been set up for relatives.
“We cannot hide the fact that we are all shaken by what happened overnight in the Klans,” Gisler told a news conference.
“There are approximately 100 injured, the most seriously injured, but unfortunately dozens are estimated to have died,” he said, adding that patients were taken to hospitals in Sion, Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich.
Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said information from Swiss police said about 40 people had been killed, but Gisler declined to give specific numbers.
Earlier, police said a number of people were being treated for burns and a no-fly zone had been established over Crans-Montana, with the area completely cordoned off. Authorities said 10 helicopters and 40 ambulances were dispatched.
“On the first day of the new year in Crans-Montana, what was supposed to be a moment of joy turned into sadness that touched the whole country and far away,” Swiss President Guy Palmerin said on the X program, expressing his condolences.
Prosecutor Piroud said authorities were trying to release the victims’ bodies to their families.
“Many resources are being devoted to forensic science to identify victims. These resources are aimed at allowing bodies to be returned to their families as quickly as possible,” she said.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said the fire may have been caused by fireworks.
“It appears to have been an accident caused by a fire, an explosion or firecrackers thrown during New Year’s celebrations,” he told Italian television station Sky TG24.
(Additional reporting by Dave Graham in Zurich and Shivani Tanna in Bengaluru; Editing by Neil Flick, Gareth Jones and Philippa Fletcher)
