Overview
- Local police report about 40 dead and roughly 115 injured after the New Year blaze in Crans-Montana.
- Prosecutors say a firework affixed to a champagne bottle probably ignited the ceiling, though the exact sequence is still being examined.
- Officials are treating the incident as a fire with no indication of a terrorist attack.
- Investigators are scrutinizing ceiling materials, recent renovations, and evacuation routes, and have begun interviewing the bar’s owner.
- Identification is expected to be slow due to severely damaged remains, with foreign nationals among the casualties and missing, including Italians and French.