A fire at a bar in Crans-Montana ski resort killed several people and injured many more during New Year’s Eve celebrations, police say.
CRANS-MONTANA: A fire tore through a crowded bar in the luxury Swiss ski resort town of Crans-Montana on New Year’s Eve, killing and injuring several people.
Police in the Wallis canton said a “fire of undetermined origin” broke out in a bar popular with tourists as revellers celebrated.
“Several people lost their lives and others were injured,” police said in a statement describing the incident as serious.
A major emergency response involving a large contingent of police, firefighters and rescue workers was immediately deployed to assist the numerous victims.
The operation was still ongoing hours after the blaze began.
Swiss daily Blick cited a doctor at the scene suggesting the death toll could be in the “dozens”.
Regional daily Le Nouvelliste said its sources described “a heavy toll”, with “around 40 dead and 100 injured”.
Images published by Swiss media showed a building in flames with people screaming and running in the dark.
Police spokesman Gaetan Lathion told AFP there had first been an “explosion of unknown origin”.
He said the explosion took place at around 1:30 am in a bar called Le Constellation, where more than 100 people had gathered for New Year celebrations.
Several hours after the blast, an AFP photographer saw a number of ambulances on the road from Crans Montana.
Police said the area was “completely closed to the public” and that “a no-fly zone over Crans Montana has been imposed”.
