As revelers rang in the new year, a “fire of undetermined origin” broke out in a bar popular with tourists, the police in the Wallis canton in south-western Switzerland said in a statement.
Swiss police believe around 40 people died and 100 were injured in the fire, the Italian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Jan. 1.
It added that the blaze was not thought to have been caused by arson.
The victims could not be immediately identified because of the severity of their burns, the ministry added.
Police in the Wallis canton said “several people lost their lives and others were injured”, and described the incident as “serious”, saying “a major emergency response is underway”.
“A large contingent of police, firefighters, and rescue workers immediately went to the scene to assist the numerous victims,” it said.
“The operation is still ongoing.”
Swiss daily Blick cited a doctor at the scene suggesting that the death toll could be in the “dozens”.
Regional daily The Nouvelliste also said its sources were describing “a heavy toll”, with “around 40 dead and 100 injured”.
Images published by Swiss media showed a building in flames, and people screaming and running in the dark.
Swiss media suggested that the fire may have started when pyrotechnics were used during a concert, but police said the cause was unknown.
Police spokesman Gaetan Lathion told AFP earlier there had first been an “explosion of unknown origin”.
He said the explosion took place at around 1:30 a.m. in a bar called Le Constellation, where more than 100 people had gathered for New Year celebrations.
Several hours after the blast, an AFP photographer saw a number of ambulances on the road from Crans Montana.
Police said the area was “completely closed to the public”, and that “a no-fly zone over Crans Montana has been imposed”.
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