Mourners in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana held a vigil for the victims of fire in a bar on New Year's Eve. Hundreds gathered in silence in the freezing night. Authorities say around 40 people died in the blaze.

Crans-Montana

A fire broke out at the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, during the early hours of New Year's Day, resulting in the deaths of approximately 40 people. The venue, popular among young people, was crowded at the time of the incident, and eyewitnesses reported that sparklers ignited the wooden ceiling, causing the blaze.

Authorities have ruled out deliberate attack or terrorism and are prioritizing the identification of victims so their bodies can be returned to families. The official investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing, while the community holds vigils and mourns the loss.

Mourners gather for vigil after Swiss ski resort fire

Attributes are pouring in at the site of the lethal blaze that killed around 40 people. The town's Le Constellation bar, a popular venue among young people, was packed in the early hours of New Year's Day when the fire broke out. Investigators say it could take days to identify all the victims. An agonising wait for parents and friends. It's been 30 hours since my son disappeared. 30 hours, 30 hours since I've had no news of my child. So now I'm on social networks. I started yesterday. I want the photo of my child to be everywhere so that just in case, just in case someone recognises him, they can call me, contact me. I have loved ones who were affected, my best friend, and I still haven't heard from her. I still don't know where she is and it's a shock. So you realise this can really happen to anyone. It was around 1.30 when flames engulfed the basement of the bar. Eyewitnesses say they saw sparklers light the wooden ceiling on fire. Bystanders described scenes of panic and chaos as people with severe burn injuries poured into the street. It was like a horror movie. I've never seen anything like it in my life. Then I lost my best friend who was in my arms. We tried to revive her. There were firefighters, there were police officers, everyone was everywhere. It was insane. It was insane. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. That's why now is the time for us to be together, for everyone to love each other. It's important. Local authorities have ruled out a deliberate attack or terrorism, but refuse to speculate on what caused the tragedy. For the immediate future and for the days to come, the priority will be to identify the deceased so that their bodies can be quickly returned to their families. The bodies of those killed have now all been removed from the bar, while an official investigation into what caused the fire is still ongoing.

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Dozens of people have been killed and 100 injured, most of them seriously, after a fire tore through a crowded bar during a New Year's Eve party in the upscale ski resort of Crans-Montana, Swiss officials said.

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Breakdown