Deadly New Year’s Bar Blast at Swiss Ski Resort Leaves Dozens Feared Dead and About 100 Injured

Overview

• The explosion and fast-moving fire began around 1:30 a.m. inside the basement-level Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana during New Year’s celebrations.
• Police reported roughly 100 injured and said several dozen are presumed dead, while Italy’s foreign ministry cited at least 40 fatalities, all figures still provisional.
• A major rescue operation deployed about 10 helicopters, more than 40 ambulances and over 140 responders, and an air exclusion zone was established over the resort.
• Hospitals in Sion, Lausanne, Geneva, Bern and Zurich received transfers as intensive care capacity came under strain, and authorities declared a special emergency status in Valais.
• Prosecutor Beatrice Pilloud opened the investigation as officials examine fireworks or other accidental ignition sources, with witnesses describing flames igniting the ceiling and no indication of a terror attack.