Dozens of New Year revellers are feared dead after a devastating fire ripped through a luxury ski resort in Switzerland which is popular with tourists.
Police, fire and ambulance crews were scrambled to the Constellation Bar in the Alpine town of Crans-Montana.at around 1:30am local time (12:30am GMT) when the blaze broke out.
The tragedy unfolded as revellers welcomed in the New Year at the bar. Police have confirmed there are dozens of deaths but there is so far no official number of fatalities.
Follow the latest updates below
Some victims are foreign nationals, officials say
An official has said there is no doubt some foreign nationals have been killed following the fire.
Stéphane Ganzer, the State Councillor for Security, Institutions and Sport, made the remarks in a press conference, claiming it was likely many tourists were caught up in the blaze given the resort’s popularity and by the fact it was New Year.
Attorney General Beatrice Pilloud has also ruled out the fire being the result of a terror attack as authorities continue to investigate the cause.
‘Evening should have been celebration – it turned into a nightmare’
Authorities in Crans-Montana are providing an update on the fire at a press conference.
Attorney General Beatrice Pilloud indicates that the alarm was raised around 1:30am.
Mathias Reynard, president of the Valais government, tells the press conference:
While this evening should have been a moment of celebration, it turned into a nightmare.
Police Commander Frédéric Gisler confirms there are ‘several dozen’ deaths.
Everything we know about the Constellation Bar
Here’s what we know about the Constellation Bar where the blaze broke out in the early hours of New Year’s Day in Crans-Montana.
The venue has a capacity of up to 300 people and has a small terrace.
Its normal closing time is 2.00am local time, which would have been 30 minutes after the fire began.
It is unclear if it was due to stay open later for New Year’s Eve celebrations.
According to BBC reporter Silvia Costeloe, the bar is an ‘institution’ in Crans-Montana which has served drinkers for at least 40 years.
She said:
It’s a big bar and it’s not posh. But this is quite a posh ski resort, there’s quite a lot of luxury here – it was famous in the 1980s for hosting the World Cup skiing, and that’s coming back.
Pictures: Police cordon off ski resort as major investigation under way
Here are the latest pictures we can show you from Crans-Montana where a major fire has resulted in multiple fatalities at a luxury ski resort.
Swiss Police to give updates at press conference
Police said there had been an explosion of ‘unknown origin’ in the first official statement following the fire.
Gaetan Lathion, a police spokesman in Wallis canton in southwestern Switzerland said
The fire started around 1.30am this morning in a bar called Le Constellation.
More than a hundred people were in the building, and we are seeing many injured and many dead. We’re just at the beginning of our investigation, but this is an internationally renown ski resort with lots of tourists.
A helpline and reception centre has been set up for families seeking information about loved ones.
Swiss police have scheduled a press conference for 9am UK time to give further updates.
Where did deadly ski resort blaze break out in Switzerland?
The fire broke out at a bar in the Alpine town of Crans-Montana, a luxury ski resort town located in the heart of the Swiss Alps.
It is approximately two hours from the Swiss capital of Bern and is popular with British tourists.
Crans-Montana is a large ski resort that is home to 87 miles of mountain trails.
The community is in the heart of the Swiss Alps, just 25 miles north of the Matterhorn.
At the end of this month, it is due to host the FIS World Cup – a prestigious speed skiing competition.
Top story: Explosion ripped through bar during New Year celebrations
At least 10 people have been killed and 10 others injured after an explosion at a luxury ski resort in Switzerland.
The blast occurred at around 1.30am local time (12.30am GMT) in the Constellation Bar in the Alpine town of Crans-Montana.
The tragedy unfolded as revellers welcomed in the New Year at the bar, which is popular with tourists.
Images published by local media show a building engulfed in flames and emergency services nearby.
There are reports the blast may have been caused by fireworks – however police say this is yet to be confirmed.
More than 100 people were inside the building at the time, according to Swiss radio station Rhone FM.
Multiple people killed after fire breaks out at luxury Swiss ski resort
Hello and welcome to our live coverage after a devastating fire broke out at a luxury ski resort in Switzerland.
Swiss officials say there are ‘several dead’ although authorities are yet to confirm the number of fatalities following a blaze in the Constellation Bar in the Alpine town of Crans-Montana.
The fire broke out at 1:30am local time (12:30am GMT) as people celebrated the start of 2026.
We will bring you the latest updates on this developing story.