Dozens Confirmed Dead, Hundreds Injured In Switzerland Ski Resort Fire
on Jan 01, 2026
Bar Fire In Switzerland Kills 40, Injures Hundreds More
An estimated 40 people have been killed, and hundreds more injured during a New Year’s Eve celebration in Switzerland, authorities said.
Video footage revealed the moment a fire broke out during a December 31 party at a Swiss ski resort, after witnesses said the blaze was triggered by a sparkler attached to a champagne bottle.
The fire tore through the bar Le Constellation in the resort town of Crans-Montana, a destination popular with international tourists. Emergency services responded to the scene.
@bbcnews Dozens of people are believed to have died in a fire that broke at Le Constellation bar in Switzerland shortly after midnight. #CransMontana #Switzerland #SkiResort #BBCNews ♬ original sound – BBC News
Investigators said the fire is believed to have begun after a woman, lifted onto another person’s shoulders during the celebration, was holding a champagne bottle topped with a sparkler.
Officials explained that the fire rapidly escalated into a “flashover,” a dangerous event in which combustible materials throughout the bar ignited almost simultaneously, setting off a series of explosions.
Another witness said the blaze caused a stampede as those in the bar rushed up a narrow staircase in an attempt to escape the venue, the New York Post reported, via the French outlet 24Heures.
One witness, identified as Victoria, reportedly told French broadcaster BFMTV that the flames quickly spread across the ceiling of the bar.
“It was firework candles inside a champagne bottle that caused the explosion. The entire ceiling of the bar caught fire,” she recalled.
@skynews The moment fire in Swiss ski resort breaks out on New Year’s Eve. The fire has left dozens of people feared dead and more than 100 injured #switzerland #skiresort ♬ original sound – Sky News
World Leaders React To The Tragedy
Incoming Swiss president, Guy Parmelin, said the tragedy not only affects Switzerland but the entire world.
“What should have been a moment of joy turned into a tragedy in Crans-Montana last night, a tragedy that affects all of Switzerland and the world,” Parmelin said in German on social media. “The Federal Council has taken note of this tragedy with profound dismay.”
Police have not yet identified the victims of the fire. Authorities said it is believed that some of those who died were tourists visiting the Alpine resort to ski and take part in New Year’s Eve celebrations.
The King’s message to the President of Switzerland following the fire in Crans-Montana last night. pic.twitter.com/aD6OI2zFeM
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) January 1, 2026
This is a developing story and will be updated.
