Deadly Blaze Tears Through New Year’s Bash In Switzerland, Officials Say

A fire killed roughly 40 people and injured around 115 others during a New Year’s party at a packed bar in the Swiss Alps early Wednesday morning, officials said.

The blaze broke out around 1:30 a.m. at Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, a popular ski resort town, CNN Live reported, citing Valais Cantonal Police Commander Frederic Gisler. Two witnesses said the fire was caused by bottles fitted with sparklers, according to French CNN affiliate BFMTV.

“There were waitresses carrying champaign bottles with sparklers on them, and they carried them too close to the ceiling, which caused it to catch fire,” a witness alleged

“One waitress was standing on another waiter’s shoulders, and the bottle and the flames were just a few centimeters from the ceiling,” another witness told the outlet.

“Once the ceiling was on fire, within about ten seconds the entire nightclub was on fire,” the first witness continued. “We all ran out screaming and when we turned back, there were flames.”

A witness told BFMTV survivors smashed windows to escape, according to NPR. Emergency crews rushed 13 helicopters and 42 ambulances to the scene, Valais canton State Council President Mathais Reynard said, adding that 115 people suffered injuries with many of them being in critical condition. (RELATED: Famous Church Burns As Netherlands Police Face Unprecedented Violence On New Year’s Eve)

🔴 ALERTE INFO
Un nouveau bilan fait état d’”une quarantaine de morts” et de 115 blessés après l’incendie dans un bar à Crans-Montana https://t.co/jVrn7c9IjD pic.twitter.com/yMyexqYAHt

— BFM (@BFMTV) January 1, 2026

Prosecutor Beatrice Pilloud said authorities opened an investigation but ruled out terrorism. “I would like to clarify that, at this stage, we are treating this as a fire and there is no question of any kind of (terror) attack,” Pilloud said, CNN Live reported.

Pilloud said the number of people inside the venue when the fire broke out is not known at this time. She noted that authorities were investigating and that questions connected to the venue’s capacity would be looked at.

Valais State Council Member Stephane Ganzer said witnesses and the investigation indicated the blaze caused what was described as an “explosion.”

“The fire spread and, as it developed, caused a widespread explosion,” Ganzer, previously a firefighter, said.

Authorities warned that many victims likely came from other countries. The Italian Foreign Ministry confirmed Swiss police reported approximately 40 deaths. Officials said it remains too early to release exact figures.

Two witnesses told BFMTV that the bar held about 200 people at the time.

Crans-Montana sits in Switzerland’s Valais region. The resort will host World Cup ski races starting Jan. 30 ahead of the Milan Cortina Olympics.