Explosion at Swiss ski resort bar kills 40, injures 100 on New Year’s Eve

Explosion at Le Constellation Bar in Crans-Montana kills 40, injures 100 on New Year’s Eve; Swiss police probe fire, not terror attack

Crans-Montana, Switzerland – A devastating explosion ripped through a luxury bar in the Swiss Alps during New Year’s Eve celebrations, leaving at least 40 people dead and more than 100 injured, according to Swiss police and the Italian Foreign Ministry. Authorities have so far declined to provide a precise toll, describing the casualties only as 'tens.'

The blast occurred in the basement of the Le Constellation Bar and Lounge in Crans-Montana, a popular ski resort town about two hours from Bern. More than 150 people were inside the venue when the explosion triggered a massive fire, sending plumes of smoke billowing into the night sky. Videos circulating on social media captured the chaos as revelers fled the scene.

Swiss officials stressed that the incident is being treated as a fire rather than a terror attack. Prosecutor-General Beatrice Pilloud of Valais canton confirmed that investigators are working on the assumption that the tragedy was caused by a fire, though the exact cause remains unknown. Local media speculated that fireworks used during a concert may have sparked the blast, but police have not verified this.

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Hospitals in Crans-Montana were quickly overwhelmed with burn victims, doctors said, as emergency services rushed to treat the injured. Authorities imposed a no-fly zone over the area and set up a helpline for families of those affected. Pilloud added that extensive forensic work is underway to identify victims and return their remains to relatives, a process that will temporarily close parts of the district.

The disaster comes amid Switzerland’s struggle with drought-driven forest fires, which have heightened concerns about fire safety nationwide. Between 2001 and 2024, the country lost more than 3 percent of its forest cover to wildfires.

Crans-Montana, renowned for skiing, snowboarding, and golf, is one of Switzerland’s most visited alpine destinations. The tragedy follows another high-profile blaze months earlier at Geneva’s historic Four Seasons Hotel Des Bergues, which left several injured.

As Switzerland mourns, investigators continue to piece together the circumstances behind what Pilloud called a “dramatic situation,” while families await answers and closure.

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