Overview
- The blaze erupted around 1:30 a.m. on Jan. 1 in the basement bar Le Constellation at the Crans-Montana ski resort.
- Recently published photos show champagne bottles fitted with lit sparklers held up toward a low ceiling moments before flames appeared.
- Survivors report sparks ignited flammable ceiling materials and the room was engulfed within seconds in a packed venue of roughly 300 youths.
- Emergency crews airlifted many of the roughly 115 injured to hospitals in Bern, Geneva and Zürich as well as to facilities in Germany, Italy and France.
- Swiss officials confirm about 40 fatalities as victim identification proceeds, with reports indicating some victims may be minors.