New Year celebrations turned into a night of mourning for people in Crans-Montana – Image: Jean-Christophe Bott/KEYSTONE/picture alliance
The fire that tore through a bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, was likely started by sparklers in Champagne bottles coming too close to the ceiling, authorities have said.
What you need to know
- First victim of fire identified as young Italian golfer Emanuele Galeppini
- Officials warn against rushing process as identifying burned bodies requires time and certainty, say process can take days or even weeks
- Australian, Italian, French and Polish nationals among those injured; some of those injured expected to be flown to neighboring countries like Germany for treatment
- Switzerland holding five days of mourning
- About 40 people died and 115 injured, many gravely, in the blaze, officials said
Sparklers the likely cause for fire, authorities say
The fire in a bar in the Alps that resulted in the deaths of some 40 people was likely resulted from bottles topped by sparklers that were held too close to the ceiling, Swiss authorities say.
According to Beatrice Pilloud, attorney general of the canton of Valais, investigators examined videos and interviewed witnesses before arriving at the conclusion.
Commander of the Valais police Frederic Gisler said 119 people were injured as a result of the fire at the Le Constellation bar in the Crans-Montana, with 113 of them already being identified.
The list of those admitted to various hospitals includes 71 Swiss nationals, 14 French citizens, 11 Italians and four Serbs.
Swiss ambulance jets were quickly mobilized to transport people to the main local hospital in Sion, the capital of the canton of Valais – Image: Lisa Leutner/REUTERS
Authorities say ‘flashover’ sparked explosion in the bar
Swiss officials described the blaze as an “embrasement généralisé,” a French firefighting term describing how a blaze can trigger the release of combustible gas that can then ignite violently and cause what English-speaking firefighters would call a flashover.
Authorities urged people to show caution in the coming days to avoid any accidents as medical facilities are overwhelmed by the scale of the accident.
Italian teen golfer identified as first victim of Swiss resort fire
The first victim of the fire that tore through Le Constellation bar in the early hours of Thursday morning has been named as a young Italian athlete, Emanuele Galeppini.
The Italian Golf Federation paid tribute to the young athlete
in a post on its website, writing it mourns “the passing of Emanuele Galeppini, a young athlete who embodied passion and authentic values.”
“Emanuele, you will forever remain in our hearts,” the post said.
Italian media have widely shared the news, but authorities have yet to confirm the news officially.
The Italian foreign minister on Thursday said he offered Switzerland help to have some of the people injured treated at a burn center in the Niguarda Hospital in Milan.
A person pays tribute to the victims at a candlelight vigil held for those killed in the fire in the Swiss ski resort – Image: Stephanie Lecocq/REUTERS
Australian among people injured in Swiss bar fire
Australian Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen told ABC Radio National that one Australian had been injured in the blaze in the ski resort of Crans-Montana.
“It’s clearly a terrible, terrible tragedy, and I’m sure all Australians send their condolences to the people of Switzerland, the people involved,” Bowen said.
Polish, French and Italian citizens have also been listed among the people injured, according to their respective governments.
Some 115 people were injured in the fire that broke out around 1:30 a.m. local time on Thursday morning.
Mother searches for son who’s been missing after fire: ‘Unbearable wait’
A mother looking for her 16-year-old son told French broadcaster BFMTV that she won’t give up the fight to know if her son is alive or dead.
“I have been searching for my son for 30 hours. The wait is unbearable,” said Laetitia, the mother of Arthur.
Neighboring countries have offered help as Switzerland grapples with the scale of the tragedy in Crans-Montana – Image: Lisa Leutner/REUTERS
“If he’s in the hospital, I don’t know which hospital he’s in. If he’s in the morgue, I don’t know which morgue he’s in. If my son is alive, he’s alone in the hospital, and I can’t be by his side,” she said.
Authorities have begun the process of identifying victims killed in the fire in Crans-Montana and said the process will take time because many of the bodies are badly burned.
(DW.com/NAN 3-1-25)
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