Ski resort fire in Switzerland claims lives of nearly 40, injures over 100

Swiss officials are investigating the cause of a fire that ripped through a bar at a ski resort in Switzerland early New Year’s Day, killing about 40 people and injuring 115 others, many severely.

The blaze erupted at 1:30 a.m., spreading quickly and creating chaos as revellers tried to flee.

Swiss President Guy Parmelin called it one of the worst tragedies the country has experienced and ordered flags flown at half-staff for five days.

“What was a moment of joy turned into a tragedy in Crans-Montana last night, felt across the country and beyond,” Parmelin wrote on X.

Swiss officials ruled out the possibility of an attack and have opened an investigation into the cause. Many of the victims were young people celebrating the new year, said Stéphane Ganzer, a state councillor, without specifying ages.

A witness told Swiss news media that people inside the bar struggled to escape the flames, with some people using chairs to try to break windows to get out.

Samuel Rapp, another witness, told Reuters he saw people screaming at the scene of the fire and others lying on the ground, their faces covered with jackets. He assumed they were dead, he said.

Local officials said identifying the victims and informing their families will take several days, and they have not released information on the nationalities of the victims. Tahirys Dos Santos, 19, a trainee player of the FC Metz French association football club, was severely burned in the fire and airlifted to Germany for treatment, his club confirmed Thursday.

Consular officials at the U.S. Embassy in Bern are ready to provide assistance to U.S. citizens who may have been affected by the fire, the embassy said in a statement.

At a news conference, Swiss officials were asked about whether champagne bottles with flames might have played a role and whether all safety regulations were followed. But officials declined to comment, saying the investigation is ongoing.

The Constellation lounge bar has a capacity of 300 people with a terrace that holds 40, according to the resort’s tourism agency. It is not yet clear how many people were inside the bar when the fire broke out, said Beatrice Pilloud, attorney general of the Valais Canton.

The bar is within the Crans-Montana Mountain Resort, popular for its skiing, gourmet restaurants and nightlife. The alpine destination offers views of the Matterhorn, one of the world’s most photographed mountains, and Mont Blanc, the highest peak in Western Europe. It was acquired by the U.S.-based Vail Resorts in 2023.

“We are deeply saddened by last night’s tragedy in Crans-Montana. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families,” Pete Petrovski, managing director of Crans-Montana Mountain Resort, said in an email.

Vail Resorts does not own the bar, according to Swiss business records.

Mathias Reynard, president of the local Valais government, described what transpired as “a nightmare.”

Many of the injured have “significant, severe burns,” Reynard said. He said some victims were sent to other hospitals for treatment and urged the public to be careful and not place further strain on health care workers.

Fifteen people are being treated at Zurich University Hospital, said Marcel Schlatter, the hospital’s head of media. “The vast majority of them are young people around 20 years old,” Schlatter said via email. “All have severe burn injuries.”

Lausanne University Hospital is treating 22 patients, said Claire Charmet, the hospital’s director, according to Swiss newspaper 24 Heures. Charmet said “the most serious cases” are between the ages of 16 and 26 on average.

Switzerland has only two centres that treat burns with more than 20% of body surface area affected; these are Lausanne and Zurich, according to 24 Heures, neither of which is close to Crans-Montana.

The area was cordoned off, and a no-fly zone was established over Crans-Montana, according to authorities. A helpline has been set up for those concerned about loved ones.

Crans-Montana attracts about 3 million visitors a year. The resort has played a key role in professional skiing, hosting more than 50 World Cup races and the 1987 World Championships. It is set to host the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in February 2027.

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, was among several European leaders to offer help. “We are liaising with Swiss authorities to provide medical assistance to the victims,” she wrote on X Thursday.

French President Emmanuel Macron said his country is welcoming the injured to its hospitals. “Our diplomatic and consular teams are following the situation and providing the necessary assistance to our compatriots,” he said.

King Charles III offered condolences. “It is utterly heartbreaking that a night of celebration for young people and families instead turned to such nightmarish tragedy,” he posted on X.

On social media, friends and relatives of the missing shared photos of their loved ones and appealed for more information, according to Swiss media.

On Thursday evening, mourners assembled outside Montana Station Church, near the scene of the fire, for a vigil. Inside, a Mass was held for the victims.