An explosion followed by a deadly fire struck the Crans-Montana ski resort on New Year's Eve, leaving dozens dead and around 100 injured, according to local authorities. The tragedy occurred around 1:30 a.m. in a bar popular with tourists, where many revelers were celebrating the arrival of the new year.
According to the police of the canton of ValaisThis was not a terrorist attack. Authorities are describing it as a widespread fire, with the explosion caused by the blaze and not the other way around. A judicial investigation has been opened for "arson" to determine the exact cause of the fire. Several local media outlets are suggesting the possibility of pyrotechnic devices, but there has been no official confirmation at this stage.
Emergency services were mobilized in large numbers throughout the morning. Many injured people, including many with severe burns, had to be evacuated by helicopter to hospitals. Swiss hospitals and foreign, as local resources were quickly overwhelmed. An exclusion zone was established around the site and a special situation declared to allow for the sustained mobilization of emergency resources.
Deeply shocked, the cantonal authorities described it as a "nightmare" and offered their condolences to the victims' families. A reception center has been set up for relatives searching for missing persons, while identification operations continue, hampered by the severity of the burns suffered by some of the victims.
