Dozens Killed in New Year’s Eve Fire at Swiss Ski Resort Bar

Around 40 people were killed and about 100 others injured, most of them seriously, after a fire swept through a crowded bar during New Year’s Eve celebrations at the upscale Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana, Swiss officials said Thursday. The deadly incident unfolded in the early hours of the morning.

The fire broke out at around 1:30 a.m. local time at Le Constellation, a popular venue in the resort. Authorities said the fire triggered an explosion inside the bar, compounding the damage and injuries. Swiss officials stressed that the incident is being treated as an accident, not a security-related or terror event.

“At the moment we are considering this a fire and we are not considering the possibility of an attack,” said Beatrice Pilloud, the Valais canton prosecutor, at a press conference announcing the opening of a full investigation.

Police have refrained from confirming a precise death toll, citing the severity of injuries and the difficulty of identifying victims. Frédéric Gisler, head of the Valais cantonal police, said “several tens of people” are presumed dead. Italy’s foreign ministry later said information from Swiss authorities indicated that around 40 people were killed.

“I can’t hide from you that we are all shaken by what happened overnight in Crans,” Gisler said. “Our count is about 100 injured, most seriously, and unfortunately tens of people are presumed dead.”

Hospitals across western Switzerland were quickly overwhelmed by the scale of the casualties. Regional officials said the intensive care unit at the local Valais hospital reached capacity within hours, forcing medical teams to transfer patients to facilities in Sion, Lausanne, Geneva, and Zurich. Many of the injured suffered severe burns, complicating treatment and identification efforts.

Emergency services mounted a large-scale response throughout the night. Authorities deployed 10 helicopters, 40 ambulances, and more than 100 first responders to evacuate victims and secure the area. Police sealed off the resort center and imposed a temporary no-fly zone over Crans-Montana to allow air evacuations to proceed unhindered. A reception center and helpline were set up for families seeking information about loved ones.

Pilloud said investigators have not yet been able to safely enter the burned-out structure. She urged the public and media to avoid speculation while forensic teams work to establish what happened. “I am asking everybody out of respect for the deceased and their families not to make any assumptions,” she said, adding that families are awaiting answers authorities cannot yet provide.

Swiss officials described the fire as a rapid and violent event. Firefighters used the term “generalized conflagration” to explain how intense heat can cause combustible gases to ignite suddenly, producing an explosion-like effect. Investigators said it remains too early to determine what sparked the initial fire.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani suggested that fireworks or a firecracker used during New Year’s celebrations may have played a role, but Swiss authorities emphasized that this remains unconfirmed and that no conclusions have been reached.

Switzerland’s Federal President Guy Parmelin expressed condolences in a social media post, calling the incident a national tragedy. “What was meant to be a moment of joy turned, on the first day of the year in Crans-Montana, into mourning that touches the entire country and far beyond,” he said. Out of respect for the victims, Parmelin postponed a New Year address scheduled for Thursday.

Crans-Montana is one of Switzerland’s best-known Alpine resorts and a major draw for international tourists during the winter holiday season. Local authorities urged residents and visitors to exercise caution in the coming days, warning that medical and emergency resources in the region remain strained as the investigation continues and the injured receive ongoing care.