Tragedy struck the Swiss Alps during New Year’s Eve festivities as a devastating fire at a bar claimed several lives and left others injured.
The blaze erupted in the early hours at Le Constellation bar, located in the ski resort town of Crans-Montana. The incident unfolded around 1:30 a.m. local time (11:30 a.m. AEDT).
Gaëtan Lathion, a spokesperson for the local police, reported that the bar was crowded with over a hundred patrons at the time of the fire, resulting in numerous casualties and injuries.
Authorities have established a reception center and helpline to support the affected families, according to Lathion.
“Our investigation is still in its initial stages, but this incident occurred at a globally recognized ski destination, attracting many tourists,” Lathion stated.
A news conference was scheduled by the police to take place at 10 a.m. in Crans-Montana (8 p.m. AEDT) to provide further updates.
Police were planning to hold a news conference at 10am in Crans-Montana (8pm AEDT).
The community is in the heart of the Swiss Alps, just 40 kilometres north of the Matterhorn.
The ski resort is about two hours east of Geneva and visited by 3 million tourists each year, mainly from other parts of Switzerland, Italy and France.
