Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Crans-Montana Bar Fire Kills 40, Probe Centers on Bottle Sparklers

Investigators describe a rapid ceiling flashover likely triggered by sparklers on champagne bottles.

Overview

  • Authorities report 40 dead and 119 injured, with 113 injured identified as patients are transferred to burn units in Switzerland, France and Italy under EU civil-protection support.
  • Police and prosecutors say videos and witness accounts indicate sparklers on bottles ignited ceiling material in a lower-level room, causing a swift, generalized blaze.
  • Officials have ruled out an attack and are scrutinizing venue works, materials, capacity and safety compliance as part of the ongoing criminal inquiry.
  • Among the identified injured are 71 Swiss, 14 French, 11 Italians and four Serbs, with other nationalities still being confirmed and victim identification continuing.
  • The bar’s French owners were questioned as witnesses with no responsibility established, while a major emergency response was mounted and national mourning measures were enacted.