New Year’s party turns tragic: Swiss bar fire leaves about 40 dead and 115 injured

(Bern, Jan 2) Swiss police said on Thursday that a deadly fire tore through a crowded bar in the upscale ski resort town of Crans-Montana in the canton of Valais in the early hours of New Year’s Day, leaving about 40 people dead and more than 100 injured, with many in serious condition.

Witnesses described scenes of panic as people tried to escape—some attempting to break windows—while injured patrons made it out onto the street. Emergency services, including police, firefighters, and rescue teams, were dispatched quickly. Crans-Montana is a major winter tourism destination and is scheduled to host a Ski World Cup event on January 30.

Valais police chief Gisler said preliminary figures stand at around 40 fatalities and roughly 115 injured. On Thursday evening, about 400 people gathered at a church in Crans-Montana for a memorial service, while the capital Bern announced five days of flags at half-mast. Newly inaugurated Swiss President Guy Parmelin called it an unprecedented and shocking disaster, describing it as one of the country’s gravest tragedies.

An 18-year-old witness, Lagg, told Swiss public broadcaster RTS that he and friends noticed thick smoke and flames coming from the bar, Le Constellation, and alerted authorities. He said he saw people running through the flames and others using chairs to try to smash windows. Two young French women told French media they escaped shortly after the fire began; they recalled seeing a champagne bottle with lit candles held close to the ceiling shortly beforehand, followed by the ceiling catching fire—details that investigators have yet to confirm.

Authorities said the cause remains under investigation, but they do not believe the incident was an “attack.” Hospitals in Valais were overwhelmed, prompting transfers to specialist facilities elsewhere in Switzerland, while neighboring countries offered assistance. Reports said dozens of patients were moved to Zurich and Lausanne for burn treatment, with others sent to Geneva. The EU said it was in contact with Swiss authorities regarding medical support, and French President Emmanuel Macron said some victims are being treated in France.

Swiss officials have also begun the process of identifying the victims, warning it may take days or even weeks. Given Crans-Montana’s international tourist profile, police said the victims are from multiple countries. Italy’s foreign minister reported Italians among the injured and missing, while France’s foreign ministry indicated at least two French citizens were hurt.

Early reports suggested an explosion may have caused the fire, but Valais chief prosecutor Piloud said initial findings indicate the opposite—the fire triggered an explosion—and stressed there was no terrorism link. Residents later laid flowers and lit candles near the site to mourn the victims.