CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland — Swiss authorities are working to identify victims after a pre-dawn fire tore through Le Constellation, a popular bar in this Alpine resort town, turning New Year’s celebrations into a national tragedy and leaving more than 100 people injured.
The first confirmed victim is 16-year-old Emanuele Galeppini, an Italian international golfer who had been living in Dubai, the Italian Golf Federation said. Galeppini was in Crans-Montana with his family and had gone to the bar with two friends, who escaped and were hospitalized, according to Italian media reports.
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Officials have not released an official death toll or a full list of the missing, citing the condition of the remains and the complexity of the identification process. “All this work needs to be done because the information is so terrible and sensitive that nothing can be told to the families unless we are 100% sure,” said Mathias Reynard, head of government for the canton of Valais, noting that teams are using dental records and DNA to establish identities.
Desperate relatives have been scouring hospitals and calling police in search of news. “I have been searching for my son for 30 hours. The wait is unbearable,” said Laetitia, whose 16-year-old son Arthur is missing, in an interview with BFM TV. “If my son is alive, he’s alone in the hospital, and I can’t be by his side.”
The blaze erupted around 1:30 a.m. at Le Constellation, which has a listed capacity of 300 people and an additional 40 on its terrace, according to the Crans-Montana website. Authorities said they will not speculate on the cause, but emphasized there is no indication of an attack.
Witness accounts carried by Swiss, French and Italian media pointed to handheld sparklers mounted on champagne bottles, used by staff during celebratory orders, as a possible ignition source. “There were waitresses with champagne bottles and little sparklers. They got too close to the ceiling, and suddenly it all caught fire,” one witness told Italy’s Local Team. Videos posted on social media showed an orange glow spreading across the ceiling as dancers initially kept moving, then a panicked rush through smoke and darkness.
Emergency responders described chaotic scenes. “We thought it was just a small fire — but when we got there, it was war,” said Mathys, from nearby Chermignon-d’en-Bas. “The apocalypse. It was terrible.” As local hospitals filled, the most serious cases were transferred across Switzerland and to neighboring countries, including France and Germany.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin called the fire “a calamity of unprecedented, terrifying proportions” and ordered flags flown at half-staff for five days. He said authorities are in close contact with families and foreign embassies. In Bern, the Irish Embassy lowered its flag in solidarity and urged citizens needing help to contact consular services.
Europe-wide support is mobilizing. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Poland stands ready to admit 14 injured people to hospitals for specialist treatment at Switzerland’s request. The European Union said it has been in contact with Swiss officials about medical assistance, and French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed some injured are receiving care in France.
The toll spans borders in a resort that draws international visitors. Italy’s ambassador to Switzerland said six Italians are missing and 13 are hospitalized. France’s foreign ministry said nine French citizens are among the injured and eight others remain unaccounted for. Multiple sources identified the bar owners as French nationals originally from Corsica; relatives said they are safe but unreachable.
Prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation, including whether the venue met safety standards and had the required number of exits, said Beatrice Pilloud, the canton’s chief prosecutor. Outside the cordoned-off site, firefighters and residents left flowers and candles as hearses carried bodies to a funeral center in Sion.
With the exact number of those inside still unclear, the search for answers — and for the missing — continues. “We’ve tried to reach our friends,” said Eleonore, 17. “We posted photos everywhere to try to find them. But there’s nothing. No response.”
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
