Swiss ski resort fire: How New Year celebrations turned to tragedy as sparklers on bottles likely cause of blaze
40 people killed and 119 others injured in blaze that tore through a popular Alpine bar as revellers rang in the New Year
Around 40 people - many of them young - have been killed after a fire ripped through a busy bar in a popular Swiss ski resort during New Year’s Eve celebrations, in what has been described as one of the country’s “worst tragedies”.
At least 119 others have been injured with the vast majority in a “serious” or “critical” condition as authorities said local hospitals have reached capacity in the Alpine resort of Crans-Montana.
Swiss authorities believe fountain candles on champagne bottles are the “likely” cause of the incident but investigations remain ongoing.
The blaze broke out in the early hours of New Year’s Day, with footage showing crowds escaping the Le Constellation bar engulfed in flames.
Revellers were gathered at the venue to celebrate the start of 2026 when horrific scenes unfolded.
Here is everything we know about the tragedy:
How many people have died and who are the victims?
Around 40 people - many of them young - were killed in the blaze. A total of 119 were injured, with most of them in a serious or critical condition, according to authorities.
The first victim of the blaze has been named as Emanuele Galeppini, a 16-year-old golfer from Italy who was living in Dubai.
The Italian Golf Federation said it mourned the death of “a young athlete who embodied passion and authentic values” in a statement.
Of the 119 people injured, 113 have been identified. Officials say the victims are of several nationalities including 71 Swiss nationals, 14 French, 11 Italian, four Serbian, and one person each of Bosnian, Belgian, Polish, Luxembourg Portuguese nationalities.
Swiss president Guy Parmelin called the fire “one of the worst tragedies our country has ever experienced”, saying the deadly incident was “unprecedented” and “horrifying”.
Investigations are underway to identify the victims and inform their families but "that will take time and for the time being it is premature to give you a more precise figure," Gisler said, adding that the community is "devastated" by the incident.
Where did the blaze take place?
The blast occurred at around 1.30am on Thursday at Le Constellation, a bar popular with tourists in the luxury ski resort of Crans-Montana, in the Valais region, southwestern Switzerland.
The community is in the heart of the Swiss Alps, just 25 miles north of the Matterhorn.
With high-altitude ski runs at around 3,000 meters, Crans-Montana is one of the winter sports centres of Switzerland's Valais region, drawing winter sports enthusiasts from across the world.
The resort is one of the top race venues on the World Cup circuit in Alpine skiing and will host the next world championships over two weeks in February 2027.
The area has been completely closed off, and a no-fly zone has been imposed over Crans-Montana.
What caused the fire?
Swiss authorities said that fountain candles – also known as “flares” – were placed on champagne bottles and appear to have caught fire when moved too close to the ceiling.
The candles, available at general retail stores and also used for birthdays, led to a flashover incident where the fire spread “very rapidly”.
Dramatic pictures and footage circulating on social media appear to show the ceiling of the Le Constellation bar catching fire after the bottles were carried above the heads of partygoers.
“Everything suggests that the fire started from the burning candles or 'Bengal lights' that had been attached to champagne bottles,” attorney general and local prosecutor Beatrice Pilloud told a news conference on Friday. “From there, a rapid, very rapid and widespread conflagration ensued."
She added that while the theory was considered “likely”, it was not yet confirmed and investigations are ongoing.
Two women told French broadcaster BFMTV they were inside when they saw a male bartender lifting a female bartender on his shoulders as she held a lit candle in a bottle. The flames spread, collapsing the wooden ceiling, they told the broadcaster.
One of the women described a crowd surge as people frantically tried to escape from a basement nightclub up a narrow flight of stairs and through a narrow door.
Some reports suggested that the bar lacked sufficient emergency exits. However, Stephane Ganzer, head of security in Valais, said that the bar had more than one emergency exit but people were unable to find it in the panic that ensued and left through the main entrance. There had been no previous reports of defects at the bar, he said.
“Most people didn't necessarily find their way to the emergency exits,” he said.
A witness speaking to local media BFMTV described people smashing windows to escape the blaze, some gravely injured, and panicked parents rushing to the scene in cars to see whether their children were trapped inside.
The young man said he saw about 20 people scrambling to get out of the smoke and flames and likened what he saw to a horror movie as he watched from across the street.
What was the emergency service response?
Some 42 ambulances, 13 helicopters and three “disaster trucks" rushed to the scene as witnesses described the injured being treated in improvised triage centres set up in a nearby bar and in a branch of UBS bank.
Emergency services arrived at the scene within two minutes, and by 5am all injured people had received care.
Regional councillor Mathias Rïnard said the intensive care unit and operating theatre at the regional hospital quickly hit full capacity.
Around 50 of the injured victims have been transferred to specialist burns units across Europe.
In a region busy with tourists skiing on the slopes, the authorities have called on those in the area to show caution in the coming days to avoid any accidents that could require medical resources that are already overwhelmed.
Atate councillor for Valais Stephane Ganzer said: "Hospitals across the country are dealing with an influx of injured people.
"To help them in their work, please avoid all risky activities today. Thank you on their behalf."
Have any arrests been made?
A criminal investigation into the incident has been opened but no liability has been determined so far. Two French nationals who own the bar have been interviewed.
“If there is a flight risk it is possible for us to take the necessary measures but for the moment no criminal liability has been determined,”Pilloud said at a press conference on Friday.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments
Bookmark popover
Removed from bookmarks