Overview
- About 40 people were killed and roughly 115 injured in the New Year’s Eve blaze at Le Constellation in Crans-Montana, according to authorities.
- The Valais cantonal government says a flashover occurred and, based on initial findings, may have caused one or more explosions, though it did not cite a source for that detail.
- Experts explain that a flashover ignites accumulated hot gases throughout a room, driving temperatures above 1,000°C and making survival inside highly unlikely.
- Forensic identification is proving difficult because extreme heat burned victims beyond recognition, with officials relying on dental records and DNA.
- Fire-safety specialists note that modern airtight spaces and combustible interiors can heighten flashover risk, and German rules restricting indoor pyrotechnics make a similar catastrophe there considered unlikely.