Dozens die in New Year's party inferno at Swiss ski resort

A New Year's Eve party in the Swiss luxury ski resort of Crans-Montana ended in a fire tragedy with dozens of deaths, with investigations into the cause of the accident continuing on Thursday.

The disaster in the well-known tourist destination caused shock among residents, tourists and politicians. "This evening was supposed to be a celebration, but it turned into a nightmare," said Mathias Reynard, president of the government in the region of Valais where the resort is located.

Police, who have said that dozens of people were killed, have yet to provide an exact death toll. Around 100 people were seriously injured in the fire at the Le Constellation bar, commander of the Valais police Frédéric Gisler said during a press conference on Thursday, New Year's Day.

Crans-Montana is one of the most famous tourist destinations in the Swiss Alps and is usually fully booked over holidays like Christmas and New Year, attracting thousands of visitors from all over the world. The police said it is therefore very likely that foreign guests are among the victims.

Investigators are assuming that the fire was an accident. "An attack can be absolutely ruled out," Attorney General Beatrice Pilloud said at a press conference.

A tourist from the south-western German city of Stuttgart said she was in shock: "We celebrated New Year's Eve with the family in our holiday apartment," Christina Lutz told dpa. "The children of friends were in the bar last night. Fortunately, nothing happened to them, but they apparently lost many friends."

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul expressed his sympathy to the victims and their families. "I am deeply shocked by the deadly fire in Crans-Montana on New Year's Eve," he wrote on X.

Swiss Federal President Guy Parmelin, who had only taken office hours earlier, was also dismayed: "What should have been a moment of joy turned into mourning on New Year's Day in Crans-Montana, affecting the whole country and far beyond," he wrote on X.

Investigators have ruled out an attack after questioning witnesses and initial investigations, Valais police commander Gisler said. The explosions reported by residents occurred only after the fire broke out.

The fire triggered an explosion as it spread, said the state councillor responsible for security in Valais, Stéphane Ganzer, citing witness statements and initial investigations.

"We heard an explosion, but it didn't sound like New Year's fireworks at all," resident Jeoffrey d'Amecourt told broadcaster RTS.

The building housing the bar was severely damaged. The police have cordoned off the area around the bar on the main street of the town extensively.

The police have set up a telephone information service for relatives. The media website of the regional police crashed after the first announcement posted there due to the numerous incoming calls.

Attorney General Pilloud could not initially provide any information on the cause of the fire. She also did not comment when asked whether the bar had the correct emergency exits and whether they were functional.

Two young French women, who said they had been celebrating in Le Constellation bar, told French broadcaster BFMTV that there were candles in champagne bottles in the bar. One of them, they said, came too close to the ceiling, which then caught fire. The fire spread within seconds. The ceiling was made of wood, the broadcaster quoted the women, whose names it gave as Emma and Albane, as saying. Panic broke out in the bar, they said.

Italian Ambassador Gian Lorenzo Cornado said a firework might have triggered the fire. He stated that he was on site to check if there were any Italians among the victims. The police told him there were 40 fatalities, he said. This number has not been officially confirmed by the police.

"We cannot provide any information on this," said Daniel Imboden, spokesman for the Valais police. "As always, all possible directions are being investigated."

The many victims were flown by helicopter to surrounding hospitals, such as in Sion, but also to Geneva, about 100 kilometres away as the crow flies. According to eyewitnesses, numerous helicopters landed at Geneva's university hospital in the morning.

The alarm was received by the police at around 1:30 am (0030 GMT). The emergency services were on site within minutes, according to the authorities.

The Swiss authorities were receiving support from the civil protection department of the Aosta Valley Italian region on the border with Switzerland: A helicopter with mountain rescue specialists and medical personnel was requested by the Swiss and has been in operation there since 6 am, the Italian mountain rescue service reported.

Crans-Montana is located in the region of Valais and is considered a chic holiday destination, hosting many celebrities. The most famous resident was James Bond actor Roger Moore (1927-2017).

The resort, at an altitude of about 1,500 metres, has a large ski area. At the end of January, Ski World Cup races also take place there.

During the holidays, the resort is usually fully booked. With some 10,000 residents, there are about 2,600 hotel beds, including eight luxury hotels, and hundreds of holiday apartments.

There are some 1 million overnight stays per year, and about 20% of the guests come from abroad, according to the local tourism authority.

The nearest major airport is Geneva, which is 180 kilometres away by road.