Dozens feared dead after fire engulfs bar at Swiss ski resort

According to Rokna, citing BBC, the blaze broke out at about 1:30 a.m. local time at a bar called Le Constellation in the alpine ski resort municipality of Crans-Montana, police spokesperson Gaëtan Lathion told The Associated Press.

“More than a hundred people were inside the building, and we are seeing many injured and many dead,” Lathion said. He added that the investigation is still in its early stages, noting that Crans-Montana is a world-famous ski destination that attracts large numbers of tourists.

“We are devastated,” Frédéric Gisler, commander of the Valais Cantonal Police, said at a later news conference, according to the AP. Police said they were not yet able to provide an exact death toll.

Italy’s foreign ministry, however, said in a statement that Swiss police believe approximately 40 people may have died in the fire. It added that the victims could not be immediately identified due to the severity of their burns.

The number of injured was so high that the intensive care unit and operating rooms at the regional hospital quickly reached full capacity, regional councilor Mathias Rénard said during the same news conference. He added that patients were being transferred to other medical facilities and that some of the victims were foreign nationals.

Beatrice Pilloud, the attorney general of the Valais Canton, said it was too early to determine the cause of the fire, as experts had not yet been able to enter the damaged building. “At no point is there any indication of an attack,” she said.

In a separate statement, police in the Valais canton said a no-fly zone had been imposed over Crans-Montana.

“Numerous emergency responders from the police, fire brigade and rescue services were immediately deployed to assist the many affected individuals,” the statement said, adding that a reception center and helpline had been established for families of those impacted.

NBC News verified videos circulating on social media that showed the building engulfed in flames, with thick smoke rising into the air as crowds gathered nearby and some people ran toward the scene. Screams could be heard in the background.

Another video shared on TikTok showed emergency crews at the site after the fire, with the area cordoned off by police tape.

Crans-Montana is a luxury ski resort town in the Valais region of Switzerland, located about two hours from the capital, Bern. The town, situated in the heart of the Swiss Alps, lies roughly 25 miles north of the Matterhorn.

The municipality was officially formed nine years ago, on January 1, 2017, following the merger of several towns. Later this month, Crans-Montana is scheduled to host an international speed skiing competition — the FIS World Cup — where the world’s top skiers will race downhill from the summit of one of the surrounding mountains, according to the resort’s website.