TRAGEDY AT SKI RESORT: At least 40 killed, over 100 injured in fire

(Patria) - At least 40 people were killed and over 100 injured in a devastating fire and explosion that occurred overnight in a bar at the popular Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana, Sky News reported, citing information from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to local authorities, many victims have not yet been identified due to the severity of their burns. Swiss authorities had previously stated there were "several dozen" fatalities, while the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that two French citizens were among the injured.

Two young women interviewed by French television BFMTV, who were in the nightclub located in the basement of the bar "Le Constellation" at the time of the fire, recounted that the wooden ceiling of the establishment caught fire.

- During the evening, a waiter climbed onto the shoulders of another waiter. He was holding a birthday candle that was very close to the ceiling, and everything caught fire within two minutes - they said.

According to them, several hundred people were in the establishment, and the situation was further complicated by an extremely narrow staircase leading to the exit.

- The staircase leading from the nightclub was extremely narrow, and there was a huge surge of the crowd - stated the witnesses, who managed to escape at the last moment.

They added that as they were leaving the bar, they saw a large number of injured people, most of whom were in serious condition.

Following the tragedy, local residents described harrowing scenes. According to the newspaper 24heures, people were found standing on the streets, sirens were constantly wailing, and helicopters were flying over the area all night. According to Blick, many young visitors were in the bar at the time of the accident.

One witness told 24heures that the fire started on the ceiling due to pyrotechnics attached to champagne bottles, after which panic and a stampede ensued as people tried to descend the stairs to the basement. These accounts align with the statements of other witnesses.