CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland: Swiss investigators on Friday began the grim and painstaking process of identifying victims killed in a devastating fire that tore through a packed bar during New Year’s Eve celebrations in the luxury ski resort of Crans-Montana, leaving around 47 people dead.
Authorities said the intensity of the blaze at the Le Constellation bar left many bodies severely burned, making identification difficult and time-consuming. At least 115 people were injured, many critically, and officials warned it could take several days before all victims are formally identified.
Families of missing young people issued emotional appeals for information, while foreign embassies worked urgently to determine whether their citizens were among the dead or injured in one of the deadliest disasters in modern Swiss history.
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“The first priority is to assign names to all the bodies,” Crans-Montana mayor Nicolas Feraud said at a press briefing late Thursday. “This process could take days.”
Valais canton government chief Mathias Reynard said specialists were relying on dental records and DNA analysis to ensure absolute certainty before informing families. “The information is so sensitive that nothing can be communicated unless we are 100% sure,” he said.
Cause Still Unclear
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, though Swiss authorities said there were no indications of an attack. Early accounts from survivors and social media footage suggested the fire may have started in the basement ceiling, possibly sparked by decorative candles used during celebrations.
The tragedy has shaken the tight-knit resort community, known for its skiing and golf tourism. Many residents said they personally knew victims or narrowly avoided being at the venue.
Hundreds gathered near the cordoned-off bar on Thursday night to hold a silent vigil. Flowers and candles were placed along the road leading to the site, while mourners embraced and wept quietly.
“You think you’re safe here, but this can happen anywhere,” said Piermarco Pani, 18. “They were people like us.”
Police confirmed that some victims’ bodies were still inside the burned-out bar as forensic teams worked continuously to recover and identify them.
Kean Sarbach, 17, said survivors told him the fire spread with terrifying speed. Another local teenager, Elisa Sousa, said she was meant to attend the party but stayed home with family instead. “I’ll thank my mother a hundred times,” she said. “God knows where I’d be now.”
Authorities have pledged to work around the clock as the community mourns and seeks answers.
-Emma Bell
