New Year Horror: Dozens Killed in Swiss Ski Resort Bar Fire
Dozens are feared dead and nearly 100 injured after a deadly bar fire in Crans-Montana, a luxury Swiss ski resort, during New Year celebrations.
Police said Thursday morning that several dozen people are feared dead and about 100 injured after a fire broke out in a crowded bar in the luxury Swiss ski resort town of Crans-Montana.
Police, firefighters, and rescue teams rushed to the popular resort, one of Europe's top ski destinations, after the fire erupted in the early hours of New Year's Day.
A tourist from New York filmed bright orange flames pouring from the bar, and saw people running and screaming in the darkness.
Authorities said they were still investigating the cause of the fire, which broke out at the Le Constellation bar at around 1:30 a.m. (0030 GMT), but said they did not believe it was caused by an "attack."
"Several dozen people are feared dead," Frederic Gessler, police commander of the Valais canton in southwestern Switzerland, told reporters, adding that about 100 people were injured, many of them seriously.
"As I speak to you, all the injured are being treated," he said.
Hospitals in Valais were overwhelmed and had declared a state of emergency, with the injured being transported to various hospitals across Switzerland.
According to the Crans-Montana website, Le Constellation has a capacity of 300 people, with room for 40 more on its rooftop terrace.
Earlier, a police spokesperson had said that about 100 people had gathered there for New Year's celebrations.
Hours later, ambulances were still parked outside the bar, and shattered windows could be seen. Local media described "the smell of burning still in the air." "Shocked" officials said it was too early to give an exact number of casualties, but added that because Crans-Montana is popular with tourists from around the world, they expected people from several countries to be among the victims.
According to initial reports from the French Foreign Ministry, at least two French citizens were among the injured.
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Swiss media suggested the fire may have started when fireworks were used during a concert.
Police said the area had been "completely closed off to the public," and a "no-fly zone has been imposed over Crans-Montana."
"The party was in full swing... music and champagne were flowing freely," a resident living nearby told the Lausanne newspaper 24 heures. But as news of the fire spread, he said, the carefree atmosphere evaporated and people began gathering in the street. "We could hear sirens in the distance. The people around me were shocked, worried, and silent."
"We heard helicopters all night," another neighbor told 24 heures.
"Because of the fireworks, at first we didn't understand what was happening. Then we saw the smoke. It's terrible, so many young people go to that bar."
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