At least 40 people died in a fire at a bar in the upscale resort of Crans-Montana. Another 115 were injured, most of them seriously, according to a preliminary report.

At least 40 people died in the fire that broke out around 1:30 a.m. on January 1st at Le Constellation, a popular party bar in the upscale Swiss Alpine resort of Crans-Montana. This tragic toll is likely to rise further, as 115 people, who had come to celebrate the New Year, were injured – most of them seriously. That evening, several hundred regulars and tourists from the resort had gathered at the bar, which can accommodate up to 300 people inside and 40 on the terrace, according to its website. Located on the ground floor of a building, it also has a basement where parties and events are held.

So far, very few details have been released by Swiss authorities regarding the exact number of victims or their identities. However, they are likely to be young, as the bar is known to be frequented by the younger generation. This is evidenced by the numerous videos and photos taken during the evening that have since circulated on social media.

At least nine French nationals injured

Given the resort's international renown, Swiss authorities also expect that the victims and injured will be of different nationalities.

Like the bar's owners, a French couple who have lived there since 2015, the woman, who was at the Constellation on the night of the fire, suffered an arm injury from the flames, Le Figaro learned from a source close to the investigation. Her husband was at the time in another establishment they own.

At least nine other French citizens were injured in the fire, the French Foreign Ministry (Quai d'Orsay) announced in its latest statement, without specifying whether the bar owner was among them. The ministry also indicated that eight other French nationals had not yet been located. Among the injured, a trainee player from FC Metz suffered severe burns. The football club confirmed that Tahirys Dos Santos, a trainee player, was among those injured in the fire. "Severely burned, the 19-year-old Metz player was airlifted to Germany, where he is currently receiving treatment," the club stated.

A large number of Italians

Italian authorities have released more information about the identities of the fifteen or so injured Italian citizens. Three of them were hospitalized in Milan that afternoon: a woman in her thirties and two 16-year-olds, according to La Repubblica. "They are intubated and have burns covering 34 to 40% of their bodies," stated Guido Bertolaso, Lombardy's social affairs advisor. Two other injured Italians were transferred to a hospital in Lausanne, and an Italian woman was admitted to a hospital in Zurich in critical condition. Finally, a 16-year-old girl from Milan is currently in a coma. Her condition does not allow for her transfer to Italy.

In addition to the fifteen injured Italians, six are still missing, including a 16-year-old whose mother has launched an appeal for witnesses on social media. "The young man was on vacation with his father in Crans-Montana and remains unreachable," reports La Repubblica. Another 17-year-old, born in Genoa and living in Dubai with his family, is also still missing. Last night, he was in the bar where the tragedy occurred, and his father has also launched an appeal for information. Four other minors are believed to be on the missing list.

Appeals for witnesses are circulating widely.

At a press conference late Thursday, Swiss authorities warned that identifying the bodies was difficult and could take several days, plunging relatives into unbearable anguish and uncertainty.

In an attempt to obtain information more quickly, friends and family of the victims have posted appeals for witnesses on social media. "Hello, we haven't heard from our friend Ephraim M. since the accident. Please let us know if you have any news," "Our friend Trystan P. has been missing since the fire. From what we know, the fire started at his table last night," "My 15-year-old sister, Alice K., is missing. We haven't heard from her since the fire"...

Dozens of such ads are circulating in different languages, relayed by internet users, on Snapchat and X, each time with photos of the victims, all younger than the others.