A New Year's celebration at a popular bar in the Swiss Alps turned into a catastrophic inferno, resulting in one of the worst tragedies in Switzerland's recent history. The fire, which broke out after midnight on Thursday, 1st January 2026, at the Le Constellation bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana, claimed the lives of approximately 40 people and left about 115 others injured, many seriously.
Eyewitness Accounts of a Nightmare
Among the survivors was 16-year-old Axel Clavier from Paris, who described a scene of panic and suffocating smoke. He managed to escape by forcing a window open with a table, but tragically lost one of his friends in the blaze. Clavier told The Associated Press that hours after the disaster, two or three of his friends remained unaccounted for.
Other witnesses painted a harrowing picture of the fire's rapid spread. Two women interviewed by French broadcaster BFMTV reported seeing a bartender lift a female colleague on his shoulders while she held a lit candle in a bottle, after which flames quickly engulfed the wooden ceiling. The ensuing chaos saw a desperate crowd surge as people tried to flee the basement nightclub via a narrow staircase and door.
"I'm still in shock," said Clavier, who lost his jacket, shoes, phone, and bank card in the escape. "I am still alive and it's just stuff." Another young witness described seeing around 20 people scrambling from the smoke and flames, likening the scene to a horror movie.
Investigation Launched into Cause of Blaze
Authorities in the Valais canton have opened an investigation to determine the exact cause of the fire. Valais Canton attorney general Beatrice Pilloud stated it was too early to pinpoint a cause but confirmed, "At no moment is there a question of any kind of attack." She added that the number of people inside the bar at the time is unknown and that its maximum capacity will form part of the inquiry.
Police commander Frédéric Gisler said work is ongoing to identify the victims and notify their families, describing the community as "devastated." No suspects have been arrested in connection with the fire.
A Resort in Mourning and a Nation in Shock
The tragedy has cast a dark shadow over the renowned Alpine resort of Crans-Montana, a top World Cup venue set to host elite skiers like Lindsey Vonn ahead of the Milan-Cortina Olympics. The region, bustling with tourists, has been urged to exercise caution to avoid further straining overwhelmed medical resources.
Mathias Reynard, head of the Valais regional government, sombrely noted, "This evening should have been a moment of celebration and coming together, but it turned into a nightmare." The resort is less than 5 kilometres from Sierre, where 28 people died in a 2012 coach crash.
Speaking on his first day in office, Swiss President Guy Parmelin paid tribute to emergency staff confronted with "scenes of indescribable violence and distress." He called for a time of "prayer, unity and dignity," affirming Switzerland's strength in facing drama "with courage and a spirit of mutual help."
