An explosion and subsequent fire in a bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans Montana, in the canton of Valais (southeast of the country), has caused “several dozen deaths” and nearly a hundred injured, according to what the police reported in a press conference. The fire, very violent according to the Police, occurred after several explosions at approximately 1:30 in the morning, during the New Year’s party that was being held at Le Constellation, a local bar, and although their origin is still unknown, the main hypothesis is that of the accident possibly caused by an accident with pyrotechnics.
“An explosion of unknown origin occurred in a bar in the tourist center around 1:30 this morning,” a spokesperson for the Valais cantonal police, Gaëtan Lathion, informed several Swiss media. “There are several injured and several dead,” he added.
According to the Police, more than 100 people were in the establishment at the time of the incident, to which cantonal police, firefighters and several helicopters have moved. Several victims with serious burns have been transported by helicopter to the city of Zurich and numerous health centers are on alert.
A young man in his thirties who arrived at the scene a few minutes after the explosion described “scenes like a war,” with thick black smoke coming out of the bar, people on fire running and screaming, according to the Swiss newspaper. Tages Anzeiger.
The authorities have closed the entrance to the area and also the airspace over the town, according to Swiss media reports. Crans-Montana is a popular tourist town located at about 1,500 meters above sea level, and has a large ski resort. Ski World Cup races are also held there at the end of January. The town has about 10,000 inhabitants, which multiply during the holidays.
For more updates, visit our homepage: NewsTimesWire
