BERN, SWITZERLAND, 02 January (H.S.): Switzerland's inaugural day of 2026 dissolved into profound grief as a catastrophic fire engulfed the basement bar at Crans-Montana's upscale Alpine resort, claiming at least 40 lives and injuring 115 others in what federal and cantonal authorities have branded the nation's deadliest tragedy.

The venue, teeming with New Year's revelers, transformed into a death trap around 1:30 a.m. Thursday, when alarms blared amid thickening smoke, trapping patrons in a frantic scramble for escape amid collapsing victims and billowing fumes.

Rapid response amid chaotic inferno

Valais police mobilized within minutes of the distress call, followed by firefighters and medical teams who airlifted scorched survivors to hospitals; by 4:14 a.m., a helpline (0848 112 117) activated as 140 rescuers, 13 helicopters, and 42 ambulances mounted a massive operation.

Eyewitnesses described pandemonium in the Constellation Bar's subterranean confines—no emergency exits visible, bodies piling as smoke choked airways—prompting Attorney-General Beatrice Pilloud to probe compliance with safety norms, though no arrests ensued.

Victims' nationalities remain unconfirmed, but Italy's foreign minister reported at least 15 Italians injured and 16 missing, suggesting a multinational toll including French nationals.

Leaders mourn 'unprecedented horror'

President Guy Parmelin decried the unprecedented tragedy, conveying federal solidarity to victims' kin as some clung to life; Valais cantonal president Matthias Reynard expressed devastation, while police chief Frederic Gygax prioritized victim identification.

Investigators suspect festive bottle sparklers—also dubbed fountain sparklers, commonplace in Swiss nightclubs and advertised at the venue—ignited the blaze, though causation awaits forensic verification.

Crans-Montana: From ski haven to site of sorrow

Nestled 1,500 meters above sea level on a sun-drenched Valais plateau overlooking the Rhone Valley, Crans-Montana—a premier ski resort two hours' drive from Bern—drew global merrymakers for New Year's festivities, only to witness revelry turn fatal in the basement lounge. The inferno evokes Switzerland's worst peacetime disaster, underscoring perils in crowded, enclosed nightlife amid pyrotechnic indulgences.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar