Skiers in Crans-Montana formed a heart on a snowy slope in a powerful tribute to the victims of the New Year’s Eve blaze at the “Le Constellation” bar, where 40 people were killed and 119 others were injured, many of them severely.
The heart-shaped formation, captured on video, became a focal symbol of collective mourning in the ski community after the deadliest nightclub fire in years. Organizers and participants aligned themselves across the piste, their tracks drawing a clear, white outline visible from above — a quiet memorial set against the Alpine landscape.
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“In deep solidarity, Crans-Montana and the entire ski community mourn together,” read a message accompanying the clip. “Our thoughts go out to all the victims, as well as to those providing care, help and support. We stand together in this difficult time.”
Authorities said all 40 victims who died in the fire were identified on Sunday. Many of those killed were teenagers, underscoring the scale of the tragedy at a venue crowded with holiday revelers. The injured include numerous people who sustained severe burns and smoke inhalation, according to initial reports.
The cause of the blaze has not yet been established, but early findings have pointed to sparklers mounted on champagne bottles and carried close to the ceiling as a likely source of ignition. Investigators are working to confirm the sequence of events that turned a festive celebration into a lethal inferno.
The public memorial on the slopes captured the sorrow and solidarity that have rippled far beyond the resort. The simple geometry of the heart — skiers standing shoulder to shoulder in the cold — conveyed a message that words could not: a community coming together to honor the dead and support the injured, as well as the first responders and medical teams who rushed in amid chaos and smoke.
In the days since the fire, attention has focused on how a popular nightlife ritual — sparklers used to mark bottle service — might have become a deadly hazard. While no official determination has been made, the early investigative findings have already sharpened public scrutiny around pyrotechnics and celebratory props in crowded indoor spaces.
For the families who spent days waiting for names, Sunday’s completion of the identification process brought the grim certainty that follows disaster. For the ski community and those who gathered on the mountain, the heart on the slope stood as both a memorial and a call to care for the living: the injured, the grieving and those who carry the memory of a night that began in celebration and ended in unimaginable loss.
The investigation remains active, with authorities working to determine accountability and confirm the precise catalyst for the blaze. Meanwhile, tributes like the one in Crans-Montana continue to punctuate a period of mourning — quiet gestures of solidarity in a community determined not to look away.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
