People react outside the "Le Constellation" bar, after a fire and explosion during a New Year's Eve party where several people died and others were injured, according to Swiss police, in the upscale ski resort of Crans-Montana in southwestern Switzerland, January 2, 2026. © REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq
(Switzerland) – The facts are horrific. Bodies so badly burned that authorities are having difficulty identifying remains. A group — largely teens — celebrating New Year’s Eve were trapped in a basement as flames raged. It’s not surprising to learn that the Swiss Alpine bar fire has been called one of the “most traumatic” events in Switzerland’s history.
Perhaps most tragically, the fire appears to have been entirely preventable — though the conditions within the bar, its structure, and the materials used in construction could have made it worse. It happened around 1:30 AM on New Year’s Day, at Le Constellation bar — a popular tourist destination within the upscale ski resort of Crans-Montana, Switzerland. Flames rapidly engulfed the venue, leading to one of the most tragic incidents in the nation’s history.
Upward of 40 people were killed, and around 119 people were injured. Many of them are fighting for their lives following burns. The victims were largely in their teens or early 20s, including Swiss nationals but also visitors from Italy, France, and other European countries.
Video posted to social media shows flames crawling along the ceiling of a basement bar, highlighting an apparent lack of urgency among the bar’s occupants. This may or may not have contributed to the tragic death toll and number of injuries. There are also reports that the basement door only opened inward, meaning there could have been difficulties evacuating — and even potential trampling.
As to the initial theory as to what caused the blaze, investigators say someone may have held a champagne bottle filled with sparklers too close to the ceiling. That caught the low ceiling on fire, which then ignited foam soundproofing material. Rapidly the fire intensified to the point where early reporting discussed an “explosion” within the bar. But arson and terrorism was quickly ruled out. It is possible a flashover fire happened, which is defined as a stage of fire growth in which “all combustible items reach their ignition temperatures and burst into flames,” according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
Flames Spread, So Does Panic
Regional Chief Prosecutor Beatrice Pilloud says the small pyrotechnics meant to bring a festive flare caught the foam ceiling in the crowded basement bar. The flames rapidly spread as the foam is made of highly flammable polyurethane. The uncovered foam also broke with local regulations as fire safety laws require a flammable material like that to have some sort of buffer. Party goers can still be heard partying and celebrating as the flames first begin to spread on the ceiling, with some people going towards the flames to take videos.
Victims We Know So Far
This Saturday, authorities began releasing the identities of the victims lost in the fire. Many Swiss, French and Italian nationals made up the victims, however most names have still not been publicly disclosed. We do have some details however, including the aforementioned ages and background. Emanuele Galeppini, a 17-year-old Italian golfer, is the first victim to be publicly named. The drinking age in this ski resort town is 16, yet there are victims as young as 14. Families were being directed to a conference center outside of the resort town, and a hotline was also set up.
Criminal Charges for Club Owners
The club is owned by a French couple, Jacques and Jessica Moretti, who first opened the club in 2015. They are facing charges of suspicion of negligent homicide, negligent bodily harm, and causing a fire by negligence. While the acoustic foam is being largely blamed for the fire, the amount of fatalities is being blamed on the narrow staircase, lack of sprinklers, and confusion over the emergency exit. An owner of an architect firm in the same building claims there was in fact an emergency exit, yet video shows people breaking glass panels to try and help the trapped victims. Italy’s ambassador to Switzerland Gian Lorenzo Coronado said they will be looking at legal recourse. In an interview the day after the tragedy, Jacques Moretti told Swiss newspaper Tribune de Genève that everything was up to code and the club had been inspected three times in the past decade.
Victim recovery and investigation at the scene will take days. Swiss authorities declared an extended period of national mourning as well. Swiss President Guy Parmelin described the event as “one of the worst tragedies our country has ever known,” emphasizing that many victims were young people with “projects, hopes and dreams.”
A criminal probe has been opened against the bar’s managers for potential negligent homicide and other offenses. Questions have arisen about fire safety measures, including escape routes — and materials used in the venue. Injured patients were transferred to burn units across Switzerland and neighboring countries. The community has held vigils, with flowers and candles left at the site, as the nation mourns during the peak ski season.
Witness accounts suggest the fire spread with alarming speed. Axel Clavier, a 16-year-old from Paris who survived, told The Associated Press he saw waitresses carrying Champagne bottles with sparklers moments before flames engulfed the bar. One of his friends was killed and “two or three were missing,” he said. “I’m still in shock.” Other witnesses described people trapped in a basement area, scrambling up narrow stairs as smoke filled the space. Some smashed windows to escape, while others collapsed inside. A local journalist dining nearby said he saw people lying motionless on the floor as others screamed and tried to flee.
Firefighters and paramedics arrived within minutes, launching what officials called a massive rescue operation. By early morning, all injured victims had been evacuated to hospitals across Switzerland, and some burn patients were expected to be transferred abroad because local facilities were overwhelmed. A temporary no-fly zone was imposed over Crans-Montana to allow medical helicopters to operate freely, and authorities also opened a reception center and hotline to assist families searching for loved ones. Several victims could not be immediately identified due to the severity of their injuries, officials said.
President Parmelin, who began his term as Switzerland’s rotating president on Thursday, said that the fire was “one of the worst tragedies that our country has experienced.” He announced that flags would fly at half-staff nationwide for five days. He also postponed a traditional New Year’s address out of respect for the victims’ families, writing that what should have been a celebration had become a moment of national mourning.
Local officials urged residents and visitors to exercise caution in the coming days, noting that medical services remain stretched thin in the busy ski region. Crans-Montana, located about 25 miles north of the Matterhorn, is scheduled to host an international Alpine Ski World Cup event later this month, though authorities said their immediate priority remains responding to the disaster and supporting those affected. Mathias Reynard, president of the Valais state council, said “this evening should have been a moment of celebration and coming together, but it turned into a nightmare.”
