Swiss authorities have confirmed that a devastating fire which killed 40 people at a popular ski resort bar on New Year's Eve was caused by sparklers. The blaze tore through Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana while it was packed with young revellers celebrating the start of 2026.
Investigation and Ongoing Identification Efforts
Valais Canton police chief Frederic Gisler provided an update, stating that the fire originated from sparklers attached to champagne bottles. The process of identifying the victims remains a grim and meticulous task. Specialist coroners, dentists, and police officers are examining fingerprints, personal objects, clothing, and DNA samples to put names to the 40 deceased.
Of the 119 people injured in the inferno, 113 have now been identified. The nationalities of those caught up in the tragedy reflect the international draw of the Alpine resort. The breakdown is: 71 Swiss, 14 French, 11 Italian, 4 Serbian, 1 Bosnian, 1 Belgian, and 1 Portuguese.
Victims and Desperate Searches
The first victim to be publicly named is Emanuele Galeppini, a 17-year-old Italian teen golfer. The Italian Golf Federation paid tribute, mourning the loss of a "young athlete who embodied passion and authentic values."
Meanwhile, anguished families continue their search for missing loved ones. Laetitia Brodard, a Swiss mother, has been desperately seeking news of her 16-year-old son, Arthur, and nine of his school friends who have not been seen since they left for the bar. "I've been looking for Arthur for more than 30 hours, but there’s no news," she told BFT TV. "It’s an unbearable wait. I won't stop searching... to know if my son is alive or if he’s gone to the other side."
Critical Injuries and Community Mourning
The scale of the injury is severe. Valais State Councillor Stéphane Ganzer estimated that "80 to 100 people are in a state of absolute emergency" out of the 115 injured, with a large number in critical condition. He added that many of the hospitalised victims have not yet been identified due to the extent of their burns and injuries.
The community in Crans-Montana and beyond is in mourning. Social media pages have been established to help locate missing individuals, while mourners have gathered at the scene of the charred bar to leave flowers and candles in a poignant tribute to those lost. The harrowing accounts from survivors speak of panic and a desperate scramble to escape the rapidly spreading flames, a tragedy that has cast a long shadow over the new year.
