Updated ,first published
Berlin: Dozens of people are feared to have been killed and around 100 others injured after a fire tore through a crowded bar during a New Year’s Eve party in the upscale ski resort of Crans-Montana in south-western Switzerland, Swiss police said on Thursday.
The tragedy happened about 1.30am (11.30am AEDT) in a bar called Le Constellation in the luxury ski resort in the Valais region, which is popular with tourists, police said in a statement.
“More than 100 people were in the building, and we are seeing many injured and many dead,” police spokesperson Gaëtan Lathion said.
“This evening should have been a time of celebration, but it turned into a nightmare,” Valais local government leader Mathias Reynard told a press conference on New Year’s Day.
“We express our support for all those who were injured, some of them seriously. We also commend the work of the emergency services.”
Swiss media was reporting that an accident was being considered as a likely cause.
According to information from RTS, foul play was not suspected. Valais radio station Rhône FM said New Year’s Eve fireworks were being investigated as a possible cause.
Swiss newspaper TdG quoted one witness from inside the bar as saying fireworks had been placed on bottles in the nightclub, leading to a fire in the ceiling.
The fire spread very quickly, he said, causing panic and a stampede as revellers tried to get out of the building.
A local doctor told RTS (Swiss radio and television) that many of the injured had severe burns.
Air Glaciers, assisted by Rega (Swiss Air Rescue) and an Italian helicopter, were transferring the injured to various hospitals in French-speaking Switzerland.
A reception centre and helpline had been set up for impacted families, Lathion said.
“We’re just at the beginning of our investigation, but this is an internationally renowned ski resort with lots of tourists,” Lathion said.
A news conference was scheduled by police for 10am in Crans-Montana (8pm AEDT).
Hospitals in western Switzerland were reported to be under severe stress as a result of the tragedy.
The community is in the heart of the Swiss Alps, just 40 kilometres north of the Matterhorn and 170 kilometres east of Geneva.
Crans-Montana is a popular ski and hiking area and regularly hosts World Cup races. The highest point of Crans-Montana, with a population of 10,000 residents, sits at an elevation of nearly 3000 metres.
The tragedy comes at a notoriously busy period time for Swiss hospitals as the seasonal flu combines with winter holiday accidents to put pressure on the system.
Local media were reporting a call for the public to avoid taking risks on New Year’s Day out of solidarity for the victims and to avoid further burdening hospitals.
AP, Reuters
