Authorities in Switzerland have pinpointed sparklers attached to champagne bottles as the probable cause of the catastrophic fire that tore through a ski resort bar on New Year's Day, claiming at least 40 lives and injuring 119 others.
The blaze erupted in the early hours of 1 January 2026 at the Constellation bar in the popular resort of Crans-Montana. Among those still unaccounted for is a teenager formerly educated at a private school in Hertfordshire, UK.
Official Cause and Flammable Materials
On Friday 2 January, Valais attorney general Beatrice Pilloud presented the preliminary findings. "It would appear that the fire started from sparkler candles, otherwise known as flares, which were placed on top of champagne bottles," she told a news conference.
Social media footage circulated in the aftermath appears to show revellers holding bottles with lit sparklers, with flames catching on the ceiling. Ms Pilloud noted it was too early to definitively state whether a foam-like material on the ceiling, potentially used for soundproofing, accelerated the fire's spread.
However, a retired firefighter who reviewed online images told Sky News he believed the ignited foam was highly flammable polyurethane, similar to material used in the Grenfell Tower cladding. He stressed such material should be "nowhere where there are uncontrolled naked flames".
Agonising Wait for Identification and Families
The process of identifying victims is proving lengthy and harrowing due to the severity of burns. Forensic experts are relying on DNA analysis for some cases, a process officials warn could take weeks.
This has left families in a state of painful limbo. Some 22 young patients remain in a critical condition at Lausanne University Hospital. The injured hailed from across Europe, including 71 Swiss nationals, 14 French, and 11 Italians, with others from Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Luxembourg, Belgium, Portugal, and Poland.
Victims and the Missing
Those named as missing or deceased include:
- Charlotte Niddam, who previously attended Immanuel College in Hertfordshire and was working as a babysitter in Crans-Montana.
- Emanuele Galeppini, a 17-year-old Italian golf prodigy, whose death was confirmed by the Italian Golf Federation.
- Arthur Brodard, a 16-year-old Swiss boy. His father recounted the group had ordered a bottle with a sparkler, stating, "One or two minutes later, it was the apocalypse."
- Alice Kallergis, a 15-year-old from Greece, and Emilie Pralong, whose family has appealed for information.
Investigations continue into the bar's safety protocols and emergency exits. The owners, French couple Jacques and Jessica Moretti, have been interviewed as witnesses. The tragedy has cast a dark shadow over the Alpine resort community, with a long and difficult recovery ahead for survivors and families.
