Switzerland Blast LIVE Updates: Sparklers on champagne bottles sparked fire, claim witnesses; toll reaches 40

Asked if bottles containing sparklers were used in the bar at a press conference, Valais Canton attorney general Beatrice Pilloud said only a few hours have passed and she is not in a position to confirm.

Witnesses have alleged that sparklers in champagne bottles had ignited the blaze.

No suspects have been identified and no one has been arrested, Stephane Ganzer, head of security in the Valais canton, said.

He said the fire was an “accident” that produced explosions in blasts.

Fifteen Italians are in hospital after being injured during a fire that broke out at a bar in the Crans-Montana ski resort, Italy’s foreign ministry has said.

The US Embassy in Switzerland’s capital city Bern said it is “deeply saddened by the tragic fire” in Crans-Montana.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with those who lost their lives, those who were injured and their loved ones,” the embassy said in a statement today.

The embassy also expressed appreciation to local first responders “for their swift and courageous efforts” and said it is in communication with authorities there.

Eyewitness Dominic Dubois told Reuters that a nearby bar provided warmth on a cold night, with the curtains being used to help keep people warm.

“There’s the Bar 1900, that was the first kind of responding place. They did amazing to stay open. It was warm in there, that was what was needed,” he said.

Flowers and handwritten notes are starting to be laid on the street near the bar, BBC reported.

Sixteen Italians have been reported missing after a fire swept through a bar in the ‍Swiss Alps, ⁠while around a dozen more Italian nationals are being treated in ​hospital following ‌the blaze, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani ​said on Thursday.

“I hope there are no (Italian) victims, but we cannot rule anything ‌out,” he told the Sky TG24 TV station, ‌describing the situation as “chaotic”.

The director of Lausanne University Hospital said they’ve taken charge of 22 people so far, BBC reported. Claire Charmet tells Swiss newspaper 24 Heures the patients, aged 16 to 26 on average, are “the most serious cases”. “The advanced medical post in Crans has been cleared of the most critical cases,” Charmet said, adding less critically injured patients could also be transported to Lausanne later.

The University Hospital in Zurich is treating more than a dozen burn victims after the bar fire, according to Sky News. The hospital specialises in burn injuries, and a spokesperson said more are expected to follow. Meanwhile, the University Hospital in Lausanne is treating 22 patients with burns. Zurich and Lausanne are the two university hospitals that specialise in treating burn injuries in Switzerland.

A woman who was in Sion hospital with her mother overnight has told a local newspaper about the moment that victims from the bar fire began to arrive.

The woman said a nurse ordered everyone in the waiting room to leave as the injured turned up. She told Le Nouvelliste the nurse asked everyone to come back the following day due to “the arrival of about 30 victims following an explosion in Montana”.

“I quickly went outside to clear the access to the emergency room and then it was chaos,” she says.

Skiers in the Crans-Montana area are being urged to be careful on the slopes today.

Hospitals have reached their maximum capacity after the fire at Le Constellation bar in the early hours of the morning, several reports claimed.

“As the Zerodix staff have been heavily involved and affected, we have decided to close the establishment today,” a statement from the ski resort said.

The deadly fire in a ski resort in Switzerland represents a “tragic loss,” Guy Parmelin, president of the Swiss Confederation, said as he offered his condolences to victims and their families.

“What should have been a happy occasion on the first day of the year in Crans-Montana has turned into a tragic loss that touches the whole country and far beyond,” Parmelin wrote on in a statement on X.

Two French women who claim to have escaped from Le Constellation after the fire broke out have spoken to BFMTV.

According to them, the fire originated from one of the “birthday candles” placed by waitresses on champagne bottles.

“One of them was brought too close to the ceiling, which caught fire. In a few dozen seconds, the whole ceiling was on fire. Everything was made of wood,” one of the women said.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Milan’s Niguarda Hospital has made its major burns unit available to help treat the injured.

He also said emergency services in the Aosta Valley region, which borders Switzerland’s Valais region, are standing ready to help out their Swiss counterparts. The death toll has crossed 40.

The Italian ambassador to Switzerland said it will take weeks to identify the dead from the fire in Crans-Montana.

He was speaking on Italian TV from the scene, where he is now with staff from the consulate in Geneva.

Earlier, the Italian Foreign Minister had said the identification of victims would be complex and require time, due to the severe burns, according to BBC.

French President Emmanuel Macron has posted a statement on social media after the fire in Switzerland.

“Deep emotion following the fire in Crans-Montana,” he wrote on social media.

“My thoughts go to the bereaved families and the injured. To Switzerland, to its people and to its authorities, I convey the full solidarity of France and our fraternal support.”

Earlier, it was confirmed that two French nationals are among those injured.

Switzerland’s State Council has declared a state of emergency following the explosion in Crans-Montana.

“Given the seriousness of the situation and the events of last night, the State Council decided this morning to declare a special situation, as permitted by the Law on the Protection of the Population,” Stephane Ganzer, state councillor of Valais, told the news conference.

“This legal provision allows us to coordinate the various resources – massive resources – and to defer them over time, since we are facing an event that will mobilise several coordinating forces and that will last for a long time.”

Switzerland’s federal president has postponed his New Year’s address after the fire in Crans-Montana, according to Swiss media.

Guy Parmelin is taking the move out of respect for the victims’ families.

He has also posted on social media to express his “profound dismay”.

“What should have been a moment of joy turned, in the night in Crans-Montana, into a mourning that affects the whole of Switzerland and abroad,” he said.

The statement added that Parmelin’s thoughts “are with the victims, the injured, and their families”.

The UK embassy in the Swiss capital of Bern has posted on social media saying it is monitoring the situation.

It notes that nationals from multiple countries are likely affected, but says it hasn’t been approached for assistance.

“Our staff stand ready to support British nationals abroad 24/7,” the statement said.

“If you are a British national in need of consular assistance, you can call us 24/7 on +44 (0) 20 7008 5000.

The Constellation lounge bar, where the deadly fire at Crans-Montana broke out, lies at the very heart of the luxury ski resort, just a short walk from the bottom station of the lift that takes skiers up into the mountains, CNN reported.

According to a description of the bar on the ski resort’s official website, the establishment has a capacity of 300 people with a terrace space for 40.

A cafe offering coffee and pastries during the day, the Constellation has two bars and a dedicated shisha smoking area, according to the website.

The deadly fire that ripped through a crowded bar at Crans-Montana caused what witnesses described initially as an “explosion,” a state council member said on Thursday.

“Witness accounts and investigation show that it was the fire that caused the air in the venue to burst into flames,” Valais State Council member Stephane Ganzer said alongside officials during a press briefing.

Prosecutor Béatrice Pilloud said it is too soon to determine the cause of the explosion at the Constellation bar.

Responding to a question at a press briefing, she explained, “I am so sorry to say it again, we’re very early in the investigation. This will take a lot of time and experts will only be able to intervene when the venue is secured.”

Officials are treating the incident at the Constellation bar in Crans-Montana as a fire, not a terror attack.

“I would like to clarify that, at this stage, we are treating this as a fire and there is no question of any kind of (terror) attack,” prosecutor Beatrice Pilloud said.

“Out of respect for the families, I am unable to say any more at this time. We will communicate directly with the families of the victims,” she added.

Ten helicopters and 40 ambulances were mobilised to attend the deadly incident during New Year’s Eve celebrations, Swiss authorities told a press conference on Thursday.

In addition, 150 medical personnel were mobilized, Mathias Reynard, Valais Canton State Council President said.

Local media reports updated the death toll to indicate that at least 40 people had been killed. Many others suffered burns and injuries.

Citing police, Sky News reported that at ​least 10 people had died ‌in the incident, with some local media saying ​the figure may be higher. A police spokesperson declined to confirm the number, but said many people were being treated for burns.

The Swiss police have released a fresh statement — noting that a major emergency response remained underway. A BBC report quoted officials as saying that there were “numerous” police, fire and rescue services responding to the “many” individuals affected. The entire area remains cordoned off.

According to a Reuters update citing the Swiss police, the area has been completely closed off. A no-fly zone has been imposed over the resort town of Crans Montana.

Unverified videos have now gone viral on social media platforms — showing the building engulfed in flames. Officials have not released any details about the explosion at this time.

According to a police spokesperson, there were more than one hundred people were inside the restaurant at the time of the explosion. Police and fire crews, as well as several helicopters, were deployed to the scene. A hotline has been set up for relatives.