Swiss authorities are investigating a devastating fire that tore through a crowded bar in the alpine resort of Crans-Montana during New Year’s Eve celebrations, killing at least 40 people and injuring more than 100, many of them seriously.
The blaze broke out at Le Constellation, a popular venue packed with mostly young revellers, and spread rapidly, leaving dozens fighting for their lives in hospitals across Switzerland and Europe.
Officials cautioned that casualty figures remain provisional as identification efforts continue amid the severity of the burns suffered by many victims.
Prosecutors said initial findings suggest the fire was likely triggered by sparkler or fountain candles attached to champagne bottles and carried too close to the ceiling.
Valais public prosecutor Béatrice Pilloud said this hypothesis had not yet been formally confirmed but appeared consistent with early evidence.
Investigators are also examining whether insulation materials in the ceiling contributed to the speed and intensity of the blaze.
Authorities said further inquiries would determine whether safety standards were met and whether criminal negligence played a role.
Swiss officials said identifying the dead could take several days, with dental and DNA analysis required due to the condition of the bodies.
Valais regional leader Mathias Reynard told reporters that many of the injured remained in critical condition.
Around 50 victims have been or will be transferred to specialist burn units in other European countries.
Police said 113 of the injured had been identified, including Swiss, French, and Italian nationals.
Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani confirmed that several Italian citizens were hospitalized and others remained missing, while French authorities reported similar concerns.
Sixteen-year-old Italian international golfer Emanuele Galeppini was named as the first publicly identified victim.
Families and friends gathered near the cordoned-off site, leaving flowers and candles and seeking news of those still unaccounted for.
Residents and visitors described shock across the resort, with many noting how narrowly they or their friends had avoided being inside the bar that night.
Swiss leaders described the tragedy as one of the most traumatic events in the country’s modern history, as the nation entered a period of mourning.