Crans-Montana New Year’s Bar Fire Kills About 40, Injures 115

Overview

• Swiss authorities opened a criminal investigation that is examining whether flames from pyrotechnic candles or fireworks triggered the blaze, with officials saying an explosion likely followed the fire.
• Emergency services mounted a large response that included roughly a dozen helicopters, more than 40 ambulances, and 150 rescuers, with patients airlifted to hospitals in Switzerland, France, Germany, and Italy.
• Victim identification is ongoing and expected to take days, as hospitals report many critically burned patients and a majority of those treated are young adults.
• FC Metz’s 19-year-old midfielder Tahirys Dos Santos suffered severe burns and was transferred by air to a specialized German burns unit, with the club coordinating medical and family support and planning repatriation when feasible.
• The fire erupted at the two‑story Le Constellation bar during New Year’s celebrations, and witnesses described flames spreading rapidly after pyrotechnic candles reportedly contacted the ceiling.