A fire that tore through a bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana in the Valais region has killed around 40 people and injured 115 others, police said, with many victims reported to be severely hurt.
The BBC reported the blaze broke out at about 1.30am during New Year celebrations at a bar called Le Constellation. Officials have not confirmed a cause, but ruled out an attack.
Regional police commander Frédéric Gisler said the priority in the coming days is to identify those who died so their bodies can be returned to their families as soon as possible.
Authorities said 13 helicopters, 42 ambulances and about 150 emergency responders were deployed overnight. Most of the injured suffered serious burns, with around 60 taken to Sion hospital, while others were transferred to specialist burns units in Lausanne, Zurich and Geneva.
Officials said multiple nationalities were affected. Italy’s foreign ministry said 16 Italian nationals were missing and between 12 and 15 others were receiving treatment. France’s foreign ministry said eight of its citizens were missing and it could not rule out French nationals among the dead.
Prosecutors said an investigation is under way to establish the circumstances of the incident, noting that speculation about possible causes cannot be confirmed while inquiries continue.
