Lub
At least 47 people have died and 112 were injured in an explosion caused by a fire at the Le Constellation bar in the Swiss alpine resort of Crans-Montana, authorities said. The incident occurred around 1:30 a.m. local time as New Year’s celebrations were underway, and the bar is known to be a popular destination for tourists, with a capacity of up to 300 people.
What Happened
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According to Italy’s ambassador to Switzerland, Gian Lorenzo Cornado, the cause of the explosion may have been a firework or firecracker detonated inside the bar, igniting the ceiling and quickly spreading throughout the building. However, two young French women told the all-news television channel Bfm that the flames began with lit candles on champagne bottles. “One of the candles was held too close to the ceiling, which caught fire. Within a few dozen seconds, the entire ceiling was ablaze. It was all wood,” they recounted. The party was taking place in the bar’s basement, and the flames rapidly spread upstairs. “The exit door was quite small considering the number of people present. Someone broke a window to let people out,” one of the women explained. The young women confirmed that firefighters and police arrived “within a few minutes.”
The Cause of the Tragedy
Cantonal authorities report the tragedy in Crans-Montana was caused by a “flashover” – a dangerous phenomenon where fire spreads suddenly and violently in enclosed spaces, causing one or more explosions. A flashover is defined as the rapid transition from a localized fire to a fully developed one. For example, a fire might start from an appliance in a room, and if heat accumulates under the ceiling, combustion gases spread and the temperature rises very quickly to several hundred degrees. This effect can cause the simultaneous and sudden ignition of other combustible materials, with flames spreading rapidly. At that point, Swiss media explain, “survival is practically impossible. The situation becomes a deadly danger even for firefighters.” Local authorities have definitively ruled out the possibility of a terrorist attack.
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Switzerland: Explosion at Crans-Montana Bar Leaves Dozens Dead
Victims and Missing
The Valais cantonal police reported 47 deaths and approximately 100 injuries as of January 1. The casualty count remains preliminary. Swiss authorities confirmed that some of the victims were foreign nationals, but have not yet released details regarding their nationalities. Italian Ambassador to Switzerland Gian Lorenzo Cornado told Tg1 that six Italians are currently unaccounted for, and 13 are hospitalized in various Swiss hospitals and at the Niguarda hospital in Milan. Three 16-year-olds from Milan were reportedly involved in the incident; one girl is in a coma, a friend is at Niguarda with severe burns to his hand and head, and a third boy was turned away at the entrance to the bar and witnessed the explosion from outside. Among the missing Italians is 16-year-old Giovanni Tamburi, who traveled to Switzerland with his father and was at the bar in Crans-Montana with friends.
Witness Account: “A Carnage”
“Some acquaintances told me about young people leaving the bar bleeding, some without clothes. A real carnage,” said Michela Ris, Vice Mayor of Ascona and a member of the Grand Council, to Swiss media. “It’s all black. There are friends who aren’t responding to messages. Maybe they’re just sleeping, but we don’t know if, after being at our house, they went straight home or indulged in one last drink, perhaps at the bar where the tragedy occurred.” “We are very worried and are trying to reach everyone, one by one, to make sure they are okay. We are shocked,” Ris told Corriere del Ticino, explaining that the atmosphere in the popular tourist resort is surreal. “The road is closed to traffic, there are police and law enforcement everywhere. You can still pass on foot, but the atmosphere is very heavy.”
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Crans-Montana, 16-Year-Old Milanese Woman in Coma. Friend Burned
