The death toll from the fire at the “La Constellation” bar in the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana continues to rise. Authorities have now confirmed 40 deaths.
Around 100 people were injured. Authorities have not ruled out that the death toll could be even higher.
Among those reported missing are 16 Italian citizens. There are also new eyewitness accounts of the causes of the tragedy.
The fire broke out overnight from Wednesday to Thursday. Valais Cantonal Prosecutor General Beatrice Pilloud announced that a terrorist attack had been ruled out and the investigation was focused on determining the exact cause of the tragedy. A witness’s account, which allegedly saved several people from the burning building, has surfaced online.
The worst-case scenario is coming true. The number of victims of the fire in Switzerland is rising.
Development
Tomasz Kuzia,
head of publishing at Fakt.pl
Date created: January 1, 2026, 7:00 PM.
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The death toll from the fire at the “La Constellation” bar in the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana continues to rise. Authorities have already confirmed 40 deaths. Around 100 people were injured. Authorities have not ruled out the possibility of an even higher death toll. Among those missing are 16 Italian citizens. There are also new witness accounts about the cause of the tragedy.
The fire broke out overnight from Wednesday to Thursday. Valais Cantonal Prosecutor General Beatrice Pilloud announced that a terrorist attack had been ruled out and the investigation was focused on determining the exact cause of the tragedy. A witness’s account, which allegedly saved several people from the burning building, has surfaced online.
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“A bang, a huge flame, and then everything turned to smoke.”
Witnesses who tried to rescue people trapped inside the venue gave dramatic accounts. One told the Romanian news outlet Digi24 that the explosion at La Constellation lasted about 20 seconds, after which a fire broke out. This suggests that a package of fireworks was set off inside the venue.
“A bang, a huge flame, and then everything turned into smoke,” reported a man who lives in Switzerland.
He added that after entering the building, he helped pull out the injured.
“There were so many of them. Many people tried to help, but everyone was terrified,” he said.
A witness compared the chaos in the club to the 2015 fire at the Colectiv club in Bucharest.
“People were trampling each other, trying to escape the fire. They were crowded together, and it was complete chaos,” he described.
Conflicting information about the causes of the tragedy
Other reports have also emerged about the origin of the fire. According to French television station BFM, the blaze may have been caused by sparklers placed on champagne bottles , which ignited elements of the venue’s décor. These reports have not yet been officially confirmed by the prosecutor’s office.
Rescue operations and identification of victims are ongoing. Authorities have announced that further information will be released gradually, once the investigation at the scene is complete.
Media reports on the death toll match police reports. “Around 40 people died and 115 were injured, many seriously, in a fire in Crans-Montana, Switzerland,” Valais Cantonal Police Chief Frédéric Gisler said on Thursday.
He added that the police are working intensively to identify the fatalities, and the injured have been transported to several hospitals across the country.
Valais Cantonal Prosecutor General Béatrice Pilloud said that “significant resources will be allocated to identifying all victims as quickly as possible.” Local authorities also noted that the process could take several days.
Swiss Confederation President Guy Parmelin also commented on the tragedy, acknowledging that many of the victims were young. During a press conference, he called the fire “one of the worst tragedies the country has ever experienced.”
Source: PAP.