A devastating fire ripped through a crowded bar during New Year celebrations at the luxury Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana, leading to a panicked stampede where dozens are feared dead and more than 100 people were injured, according to Swiss authorities. The incident, which unfolded shortly after midnight, turned a night of celebration into a scene of horror.
Chaos and Desperate Escape
Witnesses described scenes of utter chaos as panicked partygoers smashed windows and fought through thick smoke and flames to escape the inferno at the basement-level La Constellation bar. A witness speaking to French broadcaster BFMTV likened the sight to a horror movie, with around 20 people seen scrambling out through the fire. Parents rushed to the area in cars, terrified that their children were trapped inside the burning wooden structure.
Two French women, Emma and Albane, who were inside the bar, said panic erupted within seconds. "It was absolute panic, everyone was screaming," they recounted. They described how a candle brought too close to the wooden ceiling ignited the blaze. "In a few dozen seconds, the whole ceiling was on fire. Everything was made of wood," one said.
Inadequate Exits and Stampede Injuries
The survivors highlighted a critical safety failure: the main exit was too small for the large crowd inside, estimated to be around 200 people. This inadequacy forced desperate measures, with someone breaking a window to create another escape route. The women reported that flames came within a meter of them, and that while firefighters and police arrived quickly, the fire had already taken a deadly hold.
The crush to escape led to stampede-like conditions. One witness reported being "thrown down the stairs" by the surging crowd, sustaining a knee injury. The terror was compounded by the fear that many of the victims were young, with the two French women noting the crowd included many minors aged between 15 and 20.
Ongoing Rescue and Investigation
Swiss authorities have sealed off the area around the bar and imposed a no-fly zone as rescue and identification efforts continue. The Valais canton prosecutor has opened an investigation to determine the exact circumstances of the fire. Officials have stated they are currently favouring the theory of an accidental fire, explicitly ruling out any suggestion of an attack at this time.
For the survivors and the community of the famed ski resort, the raw terror of the night has replaced New Year festivities with a lasting nightmare. The tragedy underscores the catastrophic consequences of fire safety lapses in crowded venues, leaving a nation in mourning as the final death toll is confirmed.
