BBC Breakfast presented a harrowing and emotional report this morning, detailing a devastating fire at a Swiss ski resort bar that claimed dozens of lives on New Year's Day.
New Year's Tragedy in Crans-Montana
Presenters Roger Johnson and Rachel Burden opened Saturday's programme, January 3, 2026, with the tragic update from Switzerland. The fire broke out in the early hours of New Year's Day at the Le Constellation bar in the popular resort of Crans-Montana. The venue was reportedly filled with both locals and tourists celebrating the start of the new year.
Roger Johnson relayed the official cause, stating: "Officials in Switzerland say that they believe a fire at a bar which killed 40 people and injured over 100 more on New Year's Eve was caused by sparklers in champagne bottles." The blaze ignited in the basement and rapidly grew into a fierce inferno.
Survivor's Harrowing Escape and Agonising Wait for Families
Reporting from the scene, BBC correspondent Sarah Rainsford described a sombre atmosphere, with mourners leaving flowers and candles for the victims. She highlighted the painstaking process of identifying the deceased, noting the severe burns sustained made identification extremely complex and slow.
"In the meantime, there are lots of families waiting for answers," Rainsford said, "hoping that perhaps their relatives aren't among the dead but could be injured somewhere and still not identified even in hospital, so agonising for them."
The report then featured a powerful interview with a teenager named Ferdinand, who was inside the bar during the fire. He provided a chilling first-hand account of his escape. "I felt all the fire pass over my head. I closed my eyes and when I opened them again, I couldn't breathe," he revealed, explaining that the flames consumed all the oxygen. "I clung to a table and managed to pull myself out."
Unanswered Questions Following the Devastation
Concluding the segment, Sarah Rainsford emphasised that significant questions remain unanswered. Authorities are investigating how the fire started so abruptly, why it spread with such ferocious speed, and whether any fire safety regulations had been violated at the premises.
The death toll currently stands at 40 people, with more than 100 others severely injured. The report on BBC Breakfast serves as a stark and tragic reminder of the disaster that marred the beginning of 2026.
