New Year’s Eve party: dozens feared dead and 100 seriously injured by blaze in Swiss ski resort bar

The fire began at around 1.30am on January 1 in a bar in Crans-Montana called Le Constellation, according to Swiss police. Keystone-SDA

Dozens of ⁠people are feared to ⁠have been killed and around 100 others seriously injured by a large fire in the "Le Constellation" bar on January 1 in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana in southern Switzerland, according to Valais cantonal police. Authorities say it's too early to determine the cause of the New Year's blaze but rule out an attack.

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“Several dozen people are presumed dead” following the huge fire in the bar, Frédéric Gisler, police commander for canton Valais, told a press conference at 10am on Thursday. Around 100 people were also seriously injured.

“At the time of writing, all the injured have been treated,” he told reporters. The injured were taken to various hospitals, including Sion, Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich. Gisler said it was likely that the victims were of different nationalities.

The incident occurred in the crowded bar at around 1.30am on Thursday January 1, Valais police said.

Some 10 helicopters, 40 ambulances and 150 responders were sent to the scene. Keystone / Alessandro Della Valle

Cause being investigated

A police spokesperson Gaëtan Lathion had spoken earlier of an explosion of unknown origin. However, the explosion was ⁠being considered a fire and not an attack, prosecutor Béatrice Pilloud ​told reporters, adding that authorities were trying to ​get the bodies ‍of the victims to their families. An investigation is underway.

On their websites, the Le Nouvelliste newspaper and Rhône FM radio also reported “around forty dead” and at least 100 injured.

More than a 100 people were in the popular bar at the time of the incident, the police said.

The Valais government has declared a state of emergency. This is intended to ensure that all necessary resources can be mobilised as quickly as possible.

The cantonal and municipal police, the regional fire service and several helicopters were rushed to the scene immediately after an alert was given. Authorities said 10 helicopters and 40 ‍ambulances had been mobilised.

The operation is still in progress, the police said. The area has been completely closed off, and a no-fly zone has been imposed ​over Crans-Montana, which is located in canton Valais in the heart of the Swiss Alps.

A telephone helpline has been set up on: 00 41 84 811 21 17.

Adapted from French by AI/sb

This article was first been published on January 1, 2026, at 9.25am.

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