Overview
- In Crans-Montana, Switzerland, a fire at the Le Constellation bar killed about 40 people and injured roughly 115, with investigators treating the disaster as an accident and examining a possible flashover while the exact cause remains unknown.
- Amsterdam’s Vondelkerk was destroyed after a nighttime blaze forced evacuations; firefighters reported no injuries and said the cause has not been identified.
- Berlin police reported 430 arrests across the night and intervened at the annual Moabit prison demonstration, where officers used force including pepper spray during clashes.
- Dutch authorities and unions counted widespread assaults on responders, with the NPB citing 295 attacks on police and 44 on rescue workers and at least two fireworks-related deaths as the country moves toward a ban on private fireworks from New Year’s Eve 2026.
- Emergency services across Germany and Austria tackled numerous container, balcony and roof fires linked to pyrotechnics, including a Berlin-Spandau blast that devastated a Woolworth store after a misfired battery ignited stored fireworks, lightly injuring a child.