Switzerland Mourning As 40 Die In Massive Bar Blaze (Worthy News Radio)

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

CRANS-MONTANA, SWITZERLAND (Worthy News) – Swiss investigators have begun the grimming process of identifying victims of a blaze that ripped through a bar in the Swiss Alps town of Crans-Montana, killing at least 40 people and injuring some 119 persons.

What began as a New Year’s celebration has turned into one of Switzerland’s worst peacetime tragedies. showed footage obtained by Worthy News.

Witnesses said panic erupted inside the Le Constellation bar as flames rapidly spread. Some patrons tried desperately to put out the fire using textiles, while others rushed for the exits as smoke and heat intensified.

Crowds tumbled over one another in a frantic attempt to escape. Many never made it out. Authorities confirmed that dozens died at the scene, while more than a hundred people were injured — many seriously.

Several victims were initially treated outside the bar and inside a nearby bank before being transported by ambulance or helicopter to hospitals across the region.

NO TERRORISM

There was early confusion over whether an explosive device had been involved.

Police later clarified that the incident began as a fire, which then triggered an explosion inside the venue, and authorities excluded terrorism.

Witness accounts and video footage suggest the blaze may have ignited after sparklers attached to Champagne bottles were held too close to the bar’s wooden ceiling, causing the fire to spread with devastating speed.

Swiss President Guy Parmelin described the incident as “one of the worst tragedies our country has ever known.”

“The events that took place in this public establishment last night constitute a disaster of an unprecedented and horrifying scale,” he said. “Many lives — mostly young people — have been lost. Around a hundred people were injured, many seriously. And behind these numbers are faces, names, families, and destinies brutally cut short or forever shattered.”

MANY MOURNING

As the scale of the disaster became clear, mourners gathered for a somber vigil near the burned-out venue, standing silently between snow-covered mountain slopes. Some survivors compared the chaotic scenes to a war zone.

“I still can’t comprehend this,” said one young survivor.

“It’s like a nightmare I keep expecting to wake up from. I didn’t sleep last night. Every time I closed my eyes, it all came back — people completely burned, people dying,” added the young man who wasn’t identified.

He recalled that he saw “a big red light inside the bar, dust everywhere,” and people pushing, falling down the stairs in a desperate bid to escape.

“Some were trampled. Some couldn’t get out. And unfortunately, they died inside,” the survivor stressed.

IDENTIFYING VICTIMS

One of the first victims to be identified was Emanuele Galeppini, a talented young Italian golfer. The Italian Golf Federation paid tribute to him as “a young athlete who embodied passion and authentic values.”

Investigators cautioned that it may take days or even weeks to identify all victims, including Swiss residents and international holidaymakers who were celebrating the New Year in the resort town.

As the investigation continues, Switzerland has entered a period of national mourning.

President Parmelin ordered flags to be flown at half-mast for five days in memory of the victims — including many whose lives had only just begun.

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