Tragedy Strikes Swiss Ski Resort as Fire Claims Lives

Thu Jan 01 2026 17:13:34 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A catastrophic fire at a bar in a Swiss ski resort leads to mass casualties, with several dozen feared dead and many injured. Emergency services respond as investigations unfold.

On New Year's Eve, a devastating fire at Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, has left several dozen presumed dead and around 100 injured. Emergency responders were deployed amidst chaotic scenes as the investigation into the cause, which officials initially speculated might involve pyrotechnics, begins. Swiss authorities confirm that victims are from multiple nationalities and emphasize the significant work needed to identify those lost in the tragedy.

Several dozen people are presumed dead and around 100 injured after a fire ripped through a bar in a ski resort in southern Switzerland, officials have said.

The fire broke out at around 01:30 (00:30 GMT) during New Year celebrations in a bar called Le Constellation in Crans-Montana, police said.

People from multiple countries have been affected, according to Swiss authorities, and significant work will be needed to identify victims and return bodies to families.

Officials investigating the incident have not mentioned any cause, but categorically ruled out an attack.

Ten helicopters, 40 ambulances, and 150 emergency responders were sent overnight to the scene of the fire in the Valais region, which is popular with tourists.

Most of the injured experienced severe burns and were sent to Valais hospital, said Mathias Reynard, the region's council leader, in a press conference on Thursday morning.

Details are still emerging, and it is not yet known the precise number of people who have been killed and injured, their nationalities, the cause of the fire, or how many people were in the bar. Officials, however, have confirmed that several nationalities were involved.

The Italian foreign ministry stated information from Swiss police indicated around 40 people had died.

Police at the press conference stated several dozen were presumed dead but did not provide a more precise number when responding to media questions.

Local media reports earlier on Thursday suggested pyrotechnics could have caused the incident, although this is unconfirmed. Valais canton prosecutor general Beatrice Pilloud stated an investigation was underway to identify the circumstances which caused this dramatic situation to occur.

The Italian ambassador to Switzerland, Gian Lorenzo Cornado, indicated that it will take weeks to identify the deceased.

Crans-Montana, a luxury ski resort known for hosting World Cup skiing events in the 1980s, was the site of this tragic event. Le Constellation has been a long-standing establishment featuring an upstairs lounge with screens for sports events and a vibrant lower bar area for nightlife.