Crans-Montana blast: Officials give big update on fire at 'Le Constellation' bar; here is what they said

The fire at a crowded bar that killed "several dozens" of people during a New Year's Eve party in the ski resort of Crans-Montana might have spread extremely quickly, a new report said, citing officials in the know.

Officials have described the fire at the 'Le Constellation' bar as 'embrasement generalise'.

This is a French firefighting term that describes a fire spreading extremely quickly, because of how the blaze triggers the release of combustible gases, suddenly raising the heat and igniting violently.

According to an Associated Press report, this term is the French equivalent of the English term 'flashover', which is used to describe the almost-instantaneous spread of fires in certain places.

Notably, flashovers typically happen at places constructed with poor ventilation or combustible building materials, indicating that this might have been a possibility at the crowded bar.

However, the Swiss police have not yet confirmed these details, as it is reportedly not yet safe for forensic teams to enter the wreckage, according to Valais Canton attorney general Beatrice Pilloud.

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Local media reports also say that a part of the venue was underground, and had a relatively narrow entrance. Considering that there had been about 100 people in the bar at the time for a New Year party, it would have complicated the evacuation process.

Even at a press conference today, the police did not state an official reason for the blast. Certain Swiss outlets like Blick claim that the fire may have been caused by pyrotechnics during a concert at the bar. 

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However, the police have ruled out the possibility of a terror attack, Pilloud added, declaring that "at no moment is there a question of any kind of attack".

The tragedy has also sparked discussions on fire safety in Switzerland, with one Redditor—who claims to be a risk engineer who primarily inspects places for fire risks—claiming that "among specialists, we've known for years that such a tragedy was going to happen".

"In Switzerland, inspections by the authorities are practically nonexistent in this area. Once the operating permit is granted, the responsibility falls on the operator," the Redditor added.