Overview
- Police report roughly 40 dead and about 115 injured, many with severe burns; several of the worst‑hurt are teens and people in their early 20s.
- The fire broke out around 1:30 a.m. in the basement bar Le Constellation, and officials say a rapid flashover caused a powerful overpressure during the blaze.
- Officials stress there is no indication of a terrorist attack, the exact ignition source remains undetermined, and eyewitness claims about sparklers or candles are unconfirmed.
- The canton declared a special situation to mobilize resources as helicopters ferried patients to burn centers in Switzerland and into France, with Geneva preparing to receive families from abroad.
- Prosecutors say victim identification will take time, investigators are reviewing evidence including recovered phones and safety compliance, and no arrests have been made; separately, New Year’s incidents tied to pyrotechnics and police actions were reported in parts of Germany and Austria.