A large fire erupted at a popular bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana early Thursday morning, resulting in approximately 40 deaths and at least 115 injuries, many of them serious. The blaze broke out at Le Constellation during a New Year’s Eve party,prompting a massive emergency response involving helicopters and dozens of ambulances. Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire, with initial attention focused on a possible explosion and the phenomenon of a “flashover,” a rapid and widespread ignition of flammable materials.
Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —
Kebakaran dahsyat bar populer di sebuah bar di kota resor ski mewah Crans-Montana, Swiss, saat pesta malam tahun baru menewaskan 40 orang yang sebagian besar merupakan anak muda.
Insiden ini terjadi kala bar Le Constellation dipadati pengunjung yang mau merayakan malam terakhir di 2025 dan menyambut tahun baru pada Rabu (31/12).
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Komandan Polisi Kanton Valais, Frédéric Gisler menuturkan asap pertama kali terlihat keluar dari bar Le Constellation sekitar pukul 01.30 waktu setempat. Beberapa saat kemudian, seorang saksi menghubungi pusat panggilan darurat untuk melaporkan kebakaran tersebut.
Gisler mengatakan peringatan merah segera dikeluarkan untuk memobilisasi dinas pemadam kebakaran ke bar tersebut. Menurut para saksi, kebakaran itu dipicu sebuah ledakan yang belum jelas asalnya.
Pihak berwenang Swiss menyebutkan, 10 helikopter dan 40 ambulans dikerahkan untuk menangani insiden tersebut. Selain itu, sebanyak 150 tenaga medis turut dikerahkan ke TKP.
“Sekitar 40 orang tewas dalam kebakaran tersebut dan 115 lainnya terluka, banyak di antaranya dalam kondisi parah,” kata Gisler seperti dikutip CNN.
Sementara itu, Kedutaan Besar Inggris di Swiss menuturkan banyak warga asing yang kemungkinan ikut menjadi korban dalam insiden ini.
Le Constellation berada di dalam kawasan resor ski mewah di Crans-Montana. Bar tersebut memiliki kapasitas 300 orang dengan tambahan ruang teras untuk 40 orang, menurut keterangan di situs resmi resor.
Belum jelas bagian mana dari bar yang terdampak kebakaran. Crans-Montana merupakan salah satu kawasan paling eksklusif di Swiss, terkenal dengan sinar matahari sepanjang tahun dan terletak di ketinggian 1.500 meter di atas permukaan laut.
Apa penyebab kebakaran?
Sejauh ini, pihak berwenang belum dapat memastikan penyebab kebakaran dan ledakan di bar tersebut.
Namun, dalam konferensi pers di Bern, Jaksa Agung Kanton Valais, Béatrice Pilloud, mengatakan fenomena “flashover” diduga memengaruhi kebakaran.
Pilloud menjelaskan bahwa kronologi pasti kejadian masih belum jelas. Namun, para penyelidik tengah mendalami kemungkinan terjadinya flashover, di mana kondisi ketika hampir seluruh bagian di dalam sebuah ruangan terbakar secara hampir bersamaan sebagai pemicunya.
“Masih banyak hal yang perlu diklarifikasi, dan sejumlah hipotesis telah diajukan. Teori utama yang kami prioritaskan adalah terjadinya flashover yang memicu ledakan cepat. Sejumlah saksi telah dimintai keterangan, dan beberapa telepon genggam yang ditemukan telah diamankan untuk dianalisis,” kata Pilloud.
Sementara itu, menurut National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), flashover terjadi ketika gas panas naik ke langit-langit dan menyebar ke seluruh dinding ruangan.
Panas tersebut terus meningkat hingga seluruh material yang mudah terbakar di dalam ruangan mencapai titik nyala dan terbakar.
“Flashover adalah kondisi ketika bukan lagi benda-benda di dalam ruangan yang terbakar. Ruangannya sendiri yang terbakar,” ujar Steve Kerber, Wakil Presiden sekaligus Direktur Eksekutif Fire Safety Research Institute, kepada CNN.
Menurut NFPA, ketika suhu melonjak hingga mencapai sekitar 1.000 derajat Fahrenheit, bahkan petugas pemadam kebakaran yang mengenakan perlengkapan pelindung lengkap pun kecil kemungkinannya untuk selamat.
“Bayangkan seluruh langit-langit menyebarkan api dengan sangat cepat. Energi panas yang dihasilkan dari langit-langit itu turun dan mengenai semua benda yang mudah terbakar di seluruh fasilitas,” kata Kerber.
“Hampir semua benda terbakar dalam waktu yang sangat singkat, lalu seluruh ruangan diselimuti api, kondisi yang tidak mungkin untuk bertahan hidup.”
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A devastating fire ripped through a popular bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana on Wednesday, December 31st, killing approximately 40 people, many of them young revelers celebrating the New Year. The tragedy has prompted an immediate investigation into the cause of the blaze, which unfolded during a crowded New Year’s Eve party.
According to Kanton Valais Police Commander Frédéric Gisler, the first signs of smoke emerged from Le Constellation bar around 1:30 a.m. local time. Shortly after, a witness contacted emergency services to report the fire.
Gisler stated that a red alert was immediately issued, mobilizing fire crews to the scene. Witnesses reported a possible explosion preceded the fire, though the source remains unclear. Authorities deployed a significant emergency response, including 10 helicopters and 40 ambulances, with around 150 medical personnel dispatched to assist.
“Approximately 40 people died in the fire, and 115 others were injured, many seriously,” Gisler said, as quoted by CNN.
The British Embassy in Switzerland indicated that a number of foreign nationals may have been among the victims. Le Constellation, located within the upscale Crans-Montana resort, had a capacity of 300 people, with an additional 40 spaces on its terrace. The extent of the damage within the bar remains unknown. Crans-Montana is a renowned, exclusive Swiss resort, known for its year-round sunshine and altitude of 1,500 meters above sea level.
Investigators are currently focusing on a phenomenon known as a “flashover” as a potential cause of the fire. Kanton Valais Prosecutor General Béatrice Pilloud explained during a press conference in Bern that the exact sequence of events is still being determined. A flashover occurs when gases reach their ignition temperature and ignite simultaneously, causing a rapid and widespread fire.
“There are still many things to be clarified, and a number of hypotheses have been put forward. The main theory we are prioritizing is that of a flashover triggering a rapid explosion. Several witnesses have been questioned, and some mobile phones found at the scene have been secured for analysis,” Pilloud said.
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), a flashover happens when hot gases accumulate at the ceiling and spread across the room’s walls. The heat intensifies until all combustible materials reach their flash point and ignite.
“A flashover is a condition where it’s no longer the objects in the room that are burning. The room itself is burning,” Steve Kerber, Vice President and Executive Director of the Fire Safety Research Institute, told CNN.
The NFPA notes that when temperatures reach around 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, even firefighters in full protective gear have a low chance of survival. “Imagine the entire ceiling spreading fire very rapidly. The heat energy from the ceiling comes down and impinges on all the combustible materials throughout the facility,” Kerber explained. “Almost everything ignites in a very short period of time, and then the entire room is engulfed in flames, a condition that is not survivable.”
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