Aftermath of Swiss ski resort bar explosion
Aftermath of Swiss ski explosion at Crans-Montana resort: Scenes after fire at Swiss bar.
Authorities believe a sparkler placed over a champagne bottle was the cause of a bar explosion that killed around 40 people and injured more than 100 at a New Year’s Eve party in Crans-Montana, Switzerland.
Around 1:30 a.m. local time on January 1, a fire broke out at a bar called Le Constellation in the Valais region of southwestern Switzerland, killing about 40 people and injuring about 115 others, Valais cantonal police announced.
Officials said it could take days or weeks to identify the victims.
“Last night in Crans-Montana, a moment of joy turned into tragedy. It was felt across the country and abroad,” Swiss President Guy Parmelin said in a statement about X.
Valais cantonal police said in a press release that the victims came from different countries and identification could take days or weeks.
The U.S. Embassy in Bern, Switzerland, said in a statement that it was “in close contact” with Swiss authorities and urged Americans in the country to inform their families and friends of their safety.
Crans-Montana is a popular resort destination for international tourists, skiers and golfers. It is scheduled to become a stopover for the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Tour at the end of January.
Officials say a sparkler from a champagne bottle appears to have been the cause.
Béatrice Pilou, Attorney General of Valais, said at a press conference on January 2 that authorities believe the fire was caused by a glowing candle on top of a champagne bottle.
“Everything points to the fact that the fire started from a candle or ‘Bengal Light’ that was attached to a champagne bottle, which was too close to the ceiling, and from there it quickly became a very rapid and widespread fire,” Piroud said, according to Reuters.
Piroud said authorities are still investigating the incident.
Watch the moment a deadly fire breaks out in a Swiss ski resort bar
Witness video shows how a fire broke out at a bar in a Swiss ski resort during New Year’s celebrations, killing dozens and injuring more than 100.
Video footage reviewed by Reuters showed a chaotic scene immediately after the fire broke out, with people rushing to escape from the building.
Italian teenage golfer identified as one of the victims
The official death toll has not yet been confirmed as investigators are still working to identify all the victims. Officials said the injured were being treated in hospitals across the country, including in Geneva and Zurich.
According to Reuters, Valais cantonal government secretary Matthias Reynard said experts were using teeth and DNA samples to identify the victims, but confirmation would take time due to the severity of the injuries.
“We have to do all this work because this information is so scary and sensitive that we can’t tell the family anything unless we’re 100% sure,” Reynard said.
According to Reuters, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said 13 Italians were hospitalized and six were still missing. The French embassy in Switzerland said in a statement that nine French nationals were confirmed among the injured, but more were likely.
Authorities believe many of the victims were young adults and teenagers.
Among them was Emanuele Galeppini, a 16-year-old Italian golfer who lived in Dubai and was identified as one of the victims who died in the fire, multiple media outlets, including Reuters, reported.
The Italian Golf Federation confirmed Gareppini’s death in a statement, saying he was a “young athlete who lived with passion and true values.”
Melina Khan is USA TODAY’s national trends reporter. Contact her at melina.khan@usatoday.com.
