Switzerland New Year Fire: 200 people tried to escape in 30 seconds, eyewitnesses told a horrifying scene, how much did the death toll reach?

Switzerland New Year’s celebrations turned into mourning in the luxury ski resort Crans-Montana, situated in the Swiss Alps. A massive fire that broke out in a bar just after midnight turned the New Year celebration into disaster. According to the police, dozens of people are feared dead in this accident, while about 100 people have been seriously injured, the condition of most of them is said to be critical.

This tragic incident happened at Le Constellation bar, where hundreds of people had gathered to welcome the New Year. The fire spread so fast that people did not even get a chance to get out. The administration has sealed the entire area and Cross-Montana has been declared a no-fly zone. Quoting sources, it is being told that till now about 40 people have died. Valais canton police commander Friedrich Geissler said at a press conference that several dozen people were feared dead. However, the police has not yet released the official number of dead.

Fire wreaks havoc in a few seconds, eyewitnesses claim

Beatrice Pilud, the attorney general of Valais canton, said it was too early to determine the cause of the fire. But two eyewitnesses, Emma and Alban, who came from France and were celebrating New Year in the same bar, made a big revelation about the cause of the fire. They say that the fire started due to a candle being taken too close to the ceiling, due to which the ceiling caught fire. According to French news channel BFMTV, eyewitnesses said that a waitress placed birthday candles on champagne bottles and lifted them towards the ceiling. He said that within a few seconds the entire roof was engulfed in flames because everything inside was made of wood.

Getting out became the biggest challenge

The fire spread so fast that people started running here and there to save their lives. According to eyewitnesses, ‘the entire roof was burning; Even the first floor was in the grip of fire. Evacuation was extremely difficult because the exit was very narrow and the stairs were even narrower. He told that about 200 people were trying to get out within just 30 seconds.

Young men and women aged 16 to 26 are most affected.

According to BBC report, most of the people injured in this accident are in the age group of 16 to 26 years and the most serious cases have been reported among them. Burn units and ICUs in hospitals are completely filled. Police have clarified that this is not a terrorist attack, but an incident of fire. The entire area has been sealed and security agencies are investigating from every angle. The head of the regional government, Matthias Renard, said that the number of injured is so high that the ICU and operation theater of the regional hospital have reached full capacity.

Swiss President expressed condolences

Swiss President Guy Parmelin said in a social media post that the government’s “thoughts are with the victims, the injured and their families, to whom we offer our heartfelt condolences.” Crans-Montana is a high-end ski resort town located in the Valais region, about two hours from the Swiss capital Bern. This place is considered very popular among tourists from all over the world for skiing and New Year celebration.