A devastating fire that ripped through a popular Alpine bar in Switzerland on New Year's Eve has claimed the lives of 40 people, marking one of the deadliest tragedies in the nation's recent history.
A Night of Celebration Turns to Tragedy
The blaze erupted in the early hours of Thursday, 1 January 2026, inside the busy Le Constellation bar at the Crans-Montana ski resort. Authorities confirmed that in addition to the fatalities, 119 people were injured as the fire rapidly spread through the crowded venue where revellers were celebrating the start of the new year.
By Friday, investigators had pinpointed a likely cause. They believe sparkling candles atop Champagne bottles ignited the fatal fire when they came into contact with the bar's ceiling. The multilingual response from officials and survivors, in French, Italian, German, and English, reflected Switzerland's diverse cultural fabric.
Voices of Grief and Heroism
The aftermath has been marked by profound grief and stories of remarkable courage. Laetitia Brodard, searching for her 16-year-old son Arthur, told reporters: "I'm looking everywhere. The body of my son is somewhere. I want to know, where is my child, and be by his side."
Amid the horror, tales of bravery emerged. Marc-Antoine Chavanon, 14, recounted rushing to help: "We were bringing people out, people were collapsing... We saw people screaming, running." He described the trauma of seeing a severely burned friend. Swiss teenager Gianni Campolo, who also aided responders, told French media: "I have seen horror, and I don't know what else would be worse than this."
Eric Bonvin, director of the Sion hospital that treated dozens, highlighted the community's anguish: "This place was very well known as somewhere to celebrate the new year... Also, seeing young people arrive — that's always traumatic."
Official Response and Mourning
Regional authorities have prioritised identifying the victims. Beatrice Pilloud, the Valais region's attorney general, stated the immediate focus was on identification "to allow the families to begin their mourning."
Condolences came from the highest levels. Pope Leo sent a telegram expressing his "compassion and concern" to the relatives and praying for the deceased. Swiss President Guy Parmelin, speaking on his first day in the annually rotating role, praised the national spirit: "Switzerland is a strong country not because it is sheltered from drama, but because it knows how to face them with courage and a spirit of mutual help."
Mathias Reynard, the Cantonal head of government, echoed this, noting the "heroic actions" and "very strong solidarity" shown in the first minutes by citizens, particularly young people, who saved lives.
