Crans-Montana, Switzerland — Investigators say it may take several days to identify all of the victims of a devastating fire that swept through a crowded bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana, killing about 40 people and leaving many of the injured in life-threatening condition.
The blaze erupted in the early hours of New Year’s Day at Le Constellation, a popular basement bar packed with mainly young revellers celebrating the start of 2026. Authorities said around 115 people were injured, many with severe burns, as flames rapidly engulfed the venue.
Officials cautioned that it was too early to determine the exact cause of the fire, but early attention has focused on the bar’s ceiling. Witnesses and videos circulating on social media suggest that sparklers or flares placed in champagne bottles—apparently part of a routine celebratory display—may have ignited ceiling materials in the basement space.
Identification a “Terrible and Sensitive” Task
Mathias Reynard, head of the Valais regional government, said experts were using dental records and DNA samples to identify badly burned bodies. Describing the process as “terrible and sensitive,” Reynard said authorities would not release names until there was absolute certainty.
“Nothing can be told to the families unless we are 100% sure,” he said.
Valais public prosecutor Béatrice Pilloud said “significant resources” had been mobilised to identify the victims and return bodies to families as quickly as possible. Police chief Frédéric Gisler warned that the process could still take several days.
Stéphane Ganzer, a regional health and safety official, said a number of injured people had not yet been identified, either because they were not carrying identification or because it was lost in the fire. Speaking to RTL radio, Ganzer said many of the injured were in critical condition.
“I think a large number of the injured, maybe between 80 and 100, are in a life-threatening condition,” he said. “When 15% or more of an adult’s body has third-degree burns, there is a risk of death in the days and hours that follow.”
Victims From Multiple Countries
Authorities believe the victims came from many nationalities, reflecting Crans-Montana’s popularity as an international ski destination. On Friday, Emanuele Galeppini, a 16-year-old Italian international golfer who lived in Dubai, was named as the first identified victim.
Italy’s foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, said about 15 Italians had been injured and a similar number were missing. France’s foreign ministry reported that nine French nationals were injured and eight remained unaccounted for.
Tajani was due to visit Crans-Montana on Friday, according to Italy’s ambassador to Switzerland, Gian Lorenzo Cornado. Cornado told Italian media that 47 people had died, though Ganzer said he was “surprised” by that figure, adding that it did not match official counts at that time.
The European Union said it was in contact with Swiss authorities regarding medical assistance. French president Emmanuel Macron confirmed that some of the injured were being treated in hospitals in France, while others had been transferred to Germany and Poland.
Witnesses Describe a Sudden Inferno
Several witness accounts broadcast by Swiss, French, and Italian media pointed to sparklers or flares mounted in champagne bottles and raised toward the ceiling by staff as part of a regular “show” for customers.
“There were waitresses with champagne bottles and little sparklers,” said one witness, Axel, quoted by Italian outlet Local Team. “They got too close to the ceiling, and suddenly it all caught fire.”
Pilloud said investigators would examine whether the bar complied with safety standards. Ganzer noted that sparklers and flares were common in nightclubs across Europe, but said the investigation would focus on whether the basement ceiling materials—possibly insulation or cladding seen in videos—were safe and fire-resistant.
Questions Over Ownership and Safety
French media, citing local property records, reported that Le Constellation was owned by two French nationals, Jacques and Jessica Moretti, who bought the bar in 2015. The couple also own a hamburger restaurant in Crans-Montana and another establishment in a nearby village.
A friend of the couple said Jessica Moretti was inside the bar when the fire broke out and suffered burns to her arm. Her husband was reportedly not on the premises and was unharmed. Both have been unreachable since the tragedy.
A Community in Mourning
Residents of Crans-Montana have been left stunned. Many knew victims personally in the close-knit resort town. Hundreds gathered in silence near the cordoned-off scene on Thursday night to pay their respects.
By Friday, floral tributes and candles continued to accumulate outside the charred entrance of Le Constellation. One note read: “Rest in peace among the stars.”
“I woke up to a loud bang at about 1.30am, then it went silent,” said François, a local resident who declined to give his surname. “I saw the news in the morning. We’ve never experienced anything like this.”
Arlino Marchese and his friend Sacha Dimic, visiting from nearby Sierre, said the bar had once been a regular haunt. “It was a good bar, with a good atmosphere,” Dimic said. “All those lives gone—it’s terrible.”
For many young people in the town, the loss felt deeply personal. “They were people like us,” said Piermarco Pani, 18, as he lit a candle near the site.
Elisa Sousa, 17, told Reuters she had planned to attend the bar that night but stayed home for a family gathering. “I’ll need to thank my mother a hundred times for not letting me go,” she said.
Swiss president Guy Parmelin, who visited Crans-Montana on Thursday, described the fire as one of the most traumatic events in the country’s history. He announced that Switzerland would observe five days of national mourning as the nation grapples with the scale of the tragedy and awaits answers from investigators.
English (United States) ·