Overview
- An explosion and fire struck a popular bar in Crans-Montana around 1:30 a.m. during New Year celebrations with more than 100 people present.
- Police labeled the incident serious and mounted a large-scale emergency-medical response, highlighting limited local hospital capacity in the Alpine region.
- Local media report about 40 fatalities, while police earlier said dozens were dead and roughly 100 were injured, with totals expected to evolve as identification continues.
- The cause remains unconfirmed, though local outlets have suggested fireworks used during a concert as a possibility that police have not verified.
- Foreign governments are checking for affected nationals, and Japan’s foreign ministry says no Japanese victims have been confirmed.