Dozens Feared Dead After Fire Erupts Inside Swiss Ski Resort Bar [WATCH]

At least 40 people are feared dead and more than 100 others were injured after a devastating fire tore through a packed bar during a New Year’s celebration at a popular Swiss ski resort, according to witnesses and Swiss authorities.

The fire broke out at a basement nightclub called Le Constellation in the resort town of Crans-Montana, a destination known for attracting international tourists during the winter holiday season.

Authorities said the blaze spread rapidly, leaving little time for those inside to escape.

Witnesses told investigators that the fire was accidentally ignited by a sparkler attached to a champagne bottle.

According to early accounts, a woman being carried on another person’s shoulders was holding the bottle when sparks came into contact with flammable materials inside the low-ceilinged venue.

Swiss authorities said the initial flames quickly triggered a phenomenon known as a flashover, in which all combustible material in an enclosed space ignites almost simultaneously.

The flashover caused multiple explosions and an intense fireball that engulfed the bar within seconds.

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A promotional video from the nightclub posted last year shows female workers carrying champagne bottles fitted with sparklers through a crowded room beneath a low ceiling, a setup that investigators are now examining as part of the ongoing inquiry.

One witness, identified as Victoria, described the moment the fire erupted in an interview with French broadcaster BFMTV.

“It was firework candles inside a champagne bottle that caused the explosion. The entire ceiling of the bar caught fire,” Victoria said.

She said conditions inside the venue deteriorated almost immediately.

“All the windows were black and opaque with smoke,” Victoria said.

“Some people smashed windows to let in air.”

The fire spread through the bar, which reportedly had a capacity of up to 300 people, and thick smoke filled the space so quickly that breathing became nearly impossible.

Another witness told French outlet 24Heures that panic broke out as people attempted to flee through a narrow staircase leading out of the basement.

Video footage shared on social media by Tyrone King, a visitor from New York, shows flames racing across the ceiling while screams can be heard in the background.

The footage captures the chaos as patrons attempted to escape.

“We saw people smashing windows, running and screaming. Parents were racing up in their cars. It was like a horror movie,” another witness, Adrien, told BFMTV.

Concerns about the nightclub’s layout have surfaced following the tragedy.

According to Swiss media, the basement bar had only one exit, a detail that raised alarms for at least one previous visitor.

“I felt that an evacuation from the bar would be difficult. I even thought, if panic breaks out here, how would I get back to daylight?” the former visitor told Swiss outlet Blick.

Emergency services from across the region rushed to the scene as firefighters battled the blaze and medical teams treated victims suffering from burns, smoke inhalation, and traumatic injuries. Helicopters were deployed to transport the most severely injured to hospitals.

Rescue officials said a significant number of the victims are believed to be teenagers, adding to the gravity of the incident.

“It became apparent that there were also a large number of young patients among [the victims],” Philipp Simmen, head of the Swiss Air Rescue helicopter team coordinating the response, told Swiss broadcaster SRF.

Authorities said identifying the deceased will take time due to the severity of injuries sustained in the fire.

Swiss media reported that forensic teams are working alongside rescue services to establish the identities of those killed.

Investigators are continuing to examine how the fire started and whether safety regulations were followed inside the venue.

Officials have not announced any arrests and emphasized that the incident is being treated as an accidental disaster pending the outcome of the investigation.

As Switzerland marks the beginning of the new year, the tragedy in Crans-Montana has cast a shadow over holiday celebrations and raised urgent questions about nightclub safety, emergency exits, and the use of pyrotechnics in enclosed spaces.