Crans-Montana [Switzerland], January 2: About 40 people have been killed and 115 were injured after a blaze ripped through a crowded bar in the luxury Swiss Alpine ski resort town of Crans-Montana, police said.
The fire started at about 1.30am (00.30 GMT) on Thursday morning in a bar, Le Constellation, as revellers rang in the New Year, police spokesperson Gaetan Lathion said.
Frederic Gisler, the police commander in the Valais canton in southwestern Switzerland, told reporters at a media briefing that work was under way to identify the victims and inform their families.
Beatrice Pilloud, attorney general in Valais, said it was too early to determine the fire's cause but added that investigators have ruled out a "terrorist attack".
"There are several hypotheses, but our main theory is that the entire room caught fire, leading to an explosion," she said during a news conference.
The resort is popular with tourists. Stephane Ganzer, head of Wallis's security department, said some of the were foreigners.
Images shared by Swiss media in the immediate aftermath of the blaze showed a building in flames, and emergency services nearby. A tourist from New York filmed bright orange flames pouring from the bar, and told the AFP news agency he saw people running and screaming in the dark.
Swiss authorities said that at about 1.30am, smoke was spotted in the bar.
The first police patrols arrived on the scene. They were followed by a large number of firefighters, helicopters and ambulances. The priority was to treat the victims and take them to hospitals, officials said.
"We are devastated," Gisler said. "I can't hide from you that we are all shaken by what happened overnight in Crans." The Le Constellation has a capacity of 300 and another 40 people on its terrace, according to the Crans-Montana website.
Earlier, Lathion said more than 100 people were in the building when the blaze broke out.
A medical source told national broadcaster RTS that hospitals in French-speaking Switzerland were overwhelmed with burn victims in the aftermath of the blaze.
Most of those injured were in a serious condition, said regional councillor Mathias Renard. Valais hospital's intensive care unit was full, and so patients were transferred elsewhere, he added.
More than a dozen victims were transported to the Zurich University Hospital in northern Switzerland, while at least 22 people suffering from serious burns were taken to hospital in Lausanne, and six had been taken to Geneva, the Keystone-ATS news agency reported.
Guy Parmelin, who took over the Swiss presidency on Thursday, decried "a terrible tragedy".
"What was meant to be a moment of joy has turned the first day of the year in Crans-Montana into a day of mourning affecting the entire country and beyond," he said on X, adding that the government's "thoughts go to the victims, to the injured and their relatives, to whom it addresses its sincere condolences".
Out of respect for the families of the victims, Parmelin delayed a traditional New Year's address to the nation meant to be broadcast on Thursday afternoon, broadcasters SRF and RTS reported.
After the incident, the area was off a no-fly zone imposed over Crans-Montana, police statement said.
Crans-Montana is situated in the heart of the Swiss Alps, 40km (25 miles) north of the Matterhorn, one of the world's most famous mountains. It is an internationally renowned ski resort and attracts lots of tourists, Lathion said.
A reception centre and helpline have been set up for affected families, he added.
Source: Qatar Tribune
