An explosion tore through a crowded bar during a New Year's Eve party in the upscale ski resort of Crans-Montana. The fire broke out at 1.30 a.m. local time in a bar called "Le Constellation" in the resort in southwestern Switzerland. The cause of the blast remains unclear, but authorities said it appeared to be an accident.
While the Swiss government believes "several dozen" people have died in the fire, the Italian foreign ministry, citing Swiss police, says they believe around 40 people have died. The Swiss government had stated earlier on Thursday that it cannot be more specific about the death toll as things stand.
Meanwhile, the Italian foreign ministry claimed that the victims could not be immediately identified because of the severity of their burns, Reuters said in a report. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said the fire may have been caused by fireworks. "It seems to have been an accident caused by a fire, by some explosion, by some firecracker thrown during New Year's celebrations," he told Italy's Sky TG24 TV channel.
Meanwhile, the BBC reported that 10 helicopters, 40 ambulances and 150 responders were sent to the scene by authorities — revealing the intensity of the fire that broke out at the bar, which can host 300 people at a time. In a saddening development, the British media was reportedly told by first responders on ground zero that the majority of those who survived the tragedy are "significantly" injured with severe burns.
Where are the injured treated?
The intensive care unit of the Valais hospital, the local institution to which most of the injured were rushed, is now full, the BBC report said. This has prompted many to be moved to hospitals in Sion, Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich, Reuters said in a report.
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Some of the victims are from other countries, said Stephane Ganzer, head of security for the Valais canton. The canton's head of police, Frederic Gisler, said a helpline had been opened for relatives. "I can't hide from you that we are all shaken by what happened overnight in Crans," Gisler told the press conference. "Our count is about 100 injured, most seriously, and unfortunately tens of people are presumed dead," he said.
