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The Latest:
- About 40 people are believed dead, and 100 others injured, following an explosion in Switzerland.
- The explosion took place at a party in the upscale ski resort of Crans-Montana.
- The cause of the fire is still unknown, but police have so far ruled out arson.
- Many injured are in serious condition.
Dozens of people are feared to have been killed and 100 others injured after an explosion tore through a crowded bar during a New Year’s Eve party in the upscale ski resort of Crans-Montana in southwestern Switzerland, Swiss police said on Thursday.
Swiss police say they believe about 40 people died, according to a statement from the Italian Foreign Ministry. Victims couldn’t be immediately identified due to the severity of their burns.
Police had earlier said many people were being treated for burns. Most of those injured were in a serious condition, said Mathias Reynard, head of the cantonal government. Valais hospital intensive care unit was full, and patients were being transferred elsewhere, he said.
Some of the victims are from other countries, said Stephane Ganzer, head of security for the Valais canton. Authorities said 10 helicopters and 40 ambulances had been mobilized.
The fire broke out at 1:30 a.m. local time in a bar called Le Constellation in Crans-Montana, where police, the fire brigade and rescue services were deployed to help victims.
More than 100 people were in the bar at the time of the explosion, a police spokesperson said.
The area has been completely closed off, and a no-fly zone has been imposed over Crans-Montana, police said in a statement, adding that the cause of the blast remained unclear.
The explosion was being considered a fire and not an attack, prosecutor Béatrice Pilloud said. The Italian Foreign Ministry said later the blaze was not thought to be caused by arson.
Pilloud also said authorities were trying to get the bodies of the victims to their families.
The community is in the heart of the Swiss Alps, just 40 kilometres north of the Matterhorn, one of the most famous Alpine peaks, and 130 kilometres south of Zurich.
