Overview
- Police say the fire started around 1:30 a.m. at Le Constellation in the Valais resort town, where more than 100 people were celebrating.
- Authorities report several dozen fatalities, with Italy citing about 40 deaths, and over 100 people injured, many with severe burns.
- Emergency services deployed at least 10 helicopters and about 40 ambulances, imposed a local no-fly zone, and moved patients to hospitals across Switzerland.
- Prosecutors are treating the incident as a fire rather than terrorism as investigators assess unconfirmed accounts of pyrotechnics or fountain candles and a likely flashover.
- Forensic teams are working to identify badly burned victims, some believed to be foreign nationals, and officials have opened helplines and reception centers for families.