A New Year's celebration at a popular bar in a Swiss Alpine ski resort ended in catastrophe in the early hours of Thursday, as a sudden, ferocious fire claimed dozens of lives and left over a hundred injured.
A Night of Celebration Turns to Horror
Just after 1:30am on 1 January 2026, the party at Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana was in full swing. The basement venue, known for attracting a young, mainly European crowd, was packed with teenagers and twenty-somethings dancing to hip-hop. Within seconds, the mood transformed from jubilation to terror as flames began to race across the wooden ceiling.
Witness accounts and unverified social media posts point to a possible cause. Two people reported seeing a bartender carrying a female staff member on his shoulders; she was holding a champagne bottle containing a lit sparkler or flare near the ceiling. A photo circulated online showed a white flame emanating from a magnum. Other speculation suggested spilled charcoal from shisha pipes may have been involved.
Regardless of the origin, the fire spread with terrifying speed. Social media footage, though unverified, showed silhouetted figures rushing through the smoky bar as music still played. Patrons reportedly used sweaters in a desperate attempt to beat back the flames before the situation escalated violently.
Desperate Escape and Heroic Rescues
The blaze developed into what Swiss officials term an embrasement généralisé, where combustible gases ignite violently in a flashover. Le Constellation was rapidly consumed by an inferno. "The whole ceiling was in flames and the fire spread really fast. It happened in seconds," survivors Emma and Albane told French network BFMTV.
Panic ensued as screams filled the basement. A crush developed towards a single door leading to a narrow staircase, while others smashed blackened windows to escape. Axel Clavier, 16, from Paris, described "total chaos" and feeling suffocated before using a table to break a plexiglass pane and flee.
Bystanders and swift-arriving emergency services worked together to pull victims from oven-like temperatures into the freezing night. One man told the BBC he tried to break windows after fearing his brother was inside, witnessing people "burning from head to foot." Local resident Dominic Dubois described an appalling, horror-film-like scene of orange and red flames.
Community Devastation and National Mourning
The response was massive, with convoys of fire engines, police, around 40 ambulances, and 10 helicopters converging on the picturesque resort. Hospitals across the Valais canton and as far as Zurich and Lausanne received the injured, many in serious condition, with victims aged between 16 and 26.
By Thursday afternoon, Valais police commander Frédéric Gisler confirmed a devastating toll: at least 40 people dead and 115 injured. The ages and nationalities of the deceased were not immediately released.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin visited the scene, where forensic teams worked behind white screens. He expressed the nation's grief, stating that what was meant to be a moment of joy had turned into a day of mourning. Switzerland will fly flags at half-mast for five days. "Some don't yet know if their children have died," he said, acknowledging the anguish of waiting families.
Valais attorney general Beatrice Pilloud stated that arson or terrorism were not considered probable causes. The investigation into the exact cause and the question of emergency exits at the bar continues, with no arrests made.
As darkness fell on Crans-Montana, shock lingered over the town. Le Constellation was a local institution, often with no cover charge, making it a hub for young residents. Dozens of tearful teenagers laid flowers at a police cordon, while forensic work continued into the night, marking a tragic start to the new year for Switzerland and beyond.
