Fire at ski resort in Switzerland leaves around 40 dead

A fire in a bar in the ski resort of Crans Montana, a luxury hotel complex in Switzerland, left dozens dead and a hundred injured, most of them seriously, local police reported this Thursday (1st). The explosion occurred around 1:30 am (local time, 9:30 pm on the 31st in Brazil) at the Le Constellation bar, during New Year’s festivities. The cause of the fire and subsequent explosion is still being investigated, but authorities believe it was an accident.

The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs estimates that the death toll has already reached 40, although the Swiss police still speak of “dozens”, without specifying the number of victims. At least 100 people were injured, most seriously.

“We counted a hundred injured people, many in serious condition, as well as dozens of people who presumably died,” said Valais police commander Frederic Gisler.

The evidence collected allows us to exclude, in principle, the hypothesis of an attack, since the explosion heard at around 1:30 am was caused by the fire. Authorities, however, refused to speculate on the reasons for the fire at a press conference this morning, pending reliable information. They also did not answer whether the location complied with legal security measures.

According to authorities, it is very likely that the victims included several foreigners, as Crans Montana is a resort frequently visited by skiers at the end of the year.

The injured were taken to several hospitals, the most serious being to the Hospital de Sion, which is in the capital of the canton of Valais, where the operating rooms and intensive care unit are full. Furthermore, a reception cell was created to offer psychological support to families and witnesses to the tragedy.

According to residents interviewed by the EFE news agency, the Le Constellation bar was located in a kind of basement and was accessed by a staircase, which may have made it difficult for the victims to escape.

More than ten helicopters, forty ambulances and 150 people, including firefighters, rescuers and other essential professionals were mobilized this Thursday.