CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland, January 2, 2026 —A devastating fire that broke out at a packed New Year’s Eve party in the Swiss ski resort town of Crans-Montana has killed about 40 people and injured 115 others, many of them seriously. The blaze swept through a crowded basement bar called Le Constellation, leaving behind burned bodies that are now difficult to identify.
On Friday, investigators began the slow and heartbreaking process of identifying the victims. Swiss officials said the injuries were so severe that it could take several days before all the dead are named.
The tragedy has shaken the entire country and is being described as one of the worst disasters in modern Swiss history.
Why Identifying Victims Will Take Time
The burns suffered by the mostly young partygoers were extremely severe. Because of this, authorities are using dental records and DNA samples to confirm identities.
Crans-Montana’s mayor Nicolas Feraud explained the priority clearly. “The first objective is to assign names to all the bodies,” he told a press conference on Thursday evening. He added that the process could take days.
The head of government of Valais canton, Mathias Reynard, said experts are being very careful. “All this work needs to be done because the information is so terrible and sensitive that nothing can be told to the families unless we are 100 per cent sure,” he said.
Families and Embassies in Distress
Parents of missing young people have been desperately seeking information about their loved ones. At the same time, foreign embassies are checking whether any of their citizens were among the victims.
Many of those at the party were young, and the fear that so many lives were lost has caused shock across the town and beyond.
What May Have Caused the Fire
Authorities said the fire appears to have been an accident, not an attack. While the investigation is still ongoing, early accounts from survivors and videos shared online suggest that sparking candles may have caused the blaze.
Some reports indicate that the basement ceiling may have caught fire when decorative sparkles got too close.
Town in Mourning
Crans-Montana is well known as a luxury ski and golf resort, but residents say they never imagined something so tragic could happen there. Many locals personally knew the victims.
On Thursday night, hundreds of people gathered near the site in silence to honour those who died. They left flowers and candles at a makeshift memorial near the police cordon. Some wept, while others comforted one another.
Police said that some bodies were still inside the bar as investigators worked through the night to identify everyone.
Voices From the Community
Eighteen-year-old Piermarco Pani, who knew the bar well, shared his shock, “You think you’re safe here but this can happen anywhere. They were people like us.”
Seventeen-year-old Kean Sarbach said he had spoken to four people who escaped. Some were burned, and they told him the fire spread extremely fast.
Another teenager, Elisa Sousa, said she was supposed to be at the party but went to a family event instead. “And honestly, I’ll need thank my mother a hundred times for not letting me go,” she said at the vigil. “Because God knows where I’d be now.”
A Tragedy That Has Changed Crans-Montana
The deadly fire has left a deep wound in the small resort town. With families waiting for answers and investigators working non-stop, Switzerland is mourning dozens of young lives lost in a night that was meant to be a celebration.
Authorities have promised to continue working around the clock to ensure every victim is identified and every family receives clear and confirmed information.
