SWITZERLAND (The Thursday Times) — A New Year’s celebration at a bar in the Swiss Alps ended in catastrophe early Thursday after an explosion was followed by a fast spreading fire, leaving several people dead and others injured, according to police in the canton of Valais.
The fire broke out at about 1:30 a.m. at Le Constellation, a bar in Crans-Montana, a resort town known for its slopes and panoramic mountain views. Authorities said they were still working to establish what triggered the explosion and the subsequent blaze.
Emergency crews rushed to the two-storey building as the operation continued through the morning, with police warning that the number of casualties was not yet confirmed. In an initial update, officials described a major incident and said the area around the venue had been sealed off.
Swiss police also imposed a no-fly zone over the resort as investigators and emergency teams worked at the scene.
Crans-Montana, in southwestern Switzerland, draws visitors from across Europe during peak winter season, and sits within reach of some of the Alps’ most recognisable peaks. Police said they had set up support arrangements for families seeking information, while asking anyone who believed a relative might have been caught in the fire to contact the authorities.
