At least 40 people were killed and around 100 others injured after a powerful blast ripped through a luxury bar in Switzerland, sparking a massive fire during New Year’s Eve celebrations, the Italian Foreign Ministry said, citing Swiss police. Authorities, however, said the death toll would only be described as running into “tens”.
The explosion occurred in the basement of the Le Constellation Bar and Lounge in the Alpine resort town of Crans-Montana, where more than 150 people were gathered at the time. Swiss authorities said the incident is being treated as a fire-related accident and not a terror attack.
While some Swiss media outlets initially speculated that fireworks used during a concert may have caused the blast, police said the origin of the explosion remains unknown. Hospitals in and around Crans-Montana were quickly overwhelmed as large numbers of burn victims were rushed in, a doctor said.
Videos shared on social media showed thick plumes of smoke rising from the building shortly after the explosion. “There has been an explosion of unknown origin. There are several injured and several dead,” police spokesman Gaetan Lathion told AFP.
Police said a helpline has been set up for families of those affected, and a temporary no-fly zone has been imposed over Crans-Montana to allow emergency operations to continue.
Beatrice Pilloud, prosecutor-general of Switzerland’s Valais canton, said an investigation has been launched to determine the circumstances that led to what she described as a “dramatic situation”, according to the BBC. She stressed that investigators are currently working on the assumption that the incident was caused by a fire, adding that there is no indication so far of any attack.
Out of respect for the families of the victims, Pilloud said authorities were not in a position to share further details at this stage. She added that the process of identifying the dead and returning bodies to relatives involves extensive forensic work, requiring the temporary closure of the affected area.
Crans-Montana, located in the heart of the Swiss Alps, is a popular international tourist destination known for skiing, snowboarding and golf. The resort lies about two hours from the Swiss capital, Bern.
The tragedy comes against the backdrop of a growing fire risk in Switzerland, which has experienced prolonged dry spells in recent years. Official data shows that between 2001 and 2024, more than three per cent of the country’s forest cover was lost to fires.
The incident also follows another major fire earlier this year at Switzerland’s oldest luxury hotel, the historic Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues in Geneva, which dates back to 1834 and is considered a national landmark. Several people were injured in that blaze.