Fri Jan 02 16:37:59 UTC 2026: Tragedy in Swiss Alps: Champagne Sparklers Suspected in Deadly Bar Fire
Crans-Montana, Switzerland – A devastating fire ripped through the Le Constellation bar in the popular Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana on New Year’s Eve, leaving at least 40 people dead and 119 injured. Initial investigations suggest that sparklers attached to champagne bottles may have ignited the blaze.
“Everything suggests that the fire started from the burning candles or ‘Bengal lights’ that had been attached to champagne bottles,” stated prosecutor Beatrice Pilloud at a Friday news conference. “These went too close to the ceiling. From there, a rapid, very rapid and widespread conflagration ensued.”
The fire broke out in the early hours of Thursday, engulfing the crowded bar. Authorities are working to identify the victims, a process hampered by the severity of the burns sustained. Dental records and DNA samples are being used to aid in identification. So far 113 of the 119 injured have been identified.
The tragedy has plunged Crans-Montana into mourning, with residents, tourists, and survivors grappling with grief and uncertainty. Flowers and candles have been laid at a makeshift memorial near the burned-out bar, where forensic investigators continue their painstaking work.
The injured include 14 French, 11 Italian, and four Serbian nationals. Around 50 people have been, or will be, transferred to specialized burn units across Europe for treatment.
An Instagram account has been flooded with images of missing individuals, with desperate friends and relatives pleading for information.
Authorities have cautioned that identifying the victims and establishing a final death toll will take time. The owners of Le Constellation have been questioned as part of the ongoing investigation. The probe will focus on previous bar renovations, fire safety measures, escape routes, and the number of occupants at the time of the fire, to determine if there was negligence or criminal liability.
First Piper 