A popular nightlife venue in the ski resort of Crans-Montana was rocked by an explosion shortly after the arrival of the New Year, killing several people and leaving others injured, Swiss police have said.
Police clarified that it was not a terrorist attack but a fire incident. The region’s head of security said “several dozen” people are presumed dead, with more than 100 injured.
The fire started at around 1:30 am (0030 GMT) at Constellation Bar, which is popular with tourists, as revellers rang in the new year. It is currently unclear exactly who, and how many people, were affected by the tragedy.
Emergency services were dispatched shortly after midnight following reports of a powerful blast and fire at or near a bar and lounge frequented by vacationers.
Eyewitness footage circulating on social media shows flames engulfing part of the venue and thick smoke rising into the night sky.
“There has been an explosion of unknown origin,” Gaetan Lathion, a local police spokesman, told AFP.
Police said they have not released exact figures as families are still being notified, but confirmed that several people were killed and many others injured, some of them seriously.
Crans-Montana, located in the canton of Valais in southwestern Switzerland, is one of the country’s best-known alpine resorts. Authorities have cordoned off the affected area while forensic teams examine the site.
“But the majority of casualties are believed to be tourists, who came to Crans-Montana for the holiday season. More than a hundred people were in the bar at the time of the explosion,” the police spokesperson said.
“We’re just at the beginning of our investigation, but this is an internationally renowned ski resort with lots of tourists.”
