Fiscal Nepal
First Business News Portal in English from Nepal
KATHMANDU: At least around 40 people were killed and more than 100 injured, most of them seriously, after a powerful explosion ripped through a crowded bar during a New Year’s Eve celebration at the upscale ski resort of Crans-Montana in southwestern Switzerland, Swiss authorities said on Thursday.
The blast triggered a major fire at around 1:30 a.m. local time (0030 GMT) at a bar named “Le Constellation”, where dozens of people had gathered to welcome the New Year. The exact cause of the explosion remains unclear, but authorities said there is no indication of a terrorist attack at this stage.
“At the moment, we are considering this a fire, and we are not considering the possibility of an attack,” Prosecutor Beatrice Pilloud told a press conference, adding that a full criminal investigation has been launched.
Stephane Ganzer, head of security for the Valais canton, said that some of the victims are foreign nationals, raising concerns among diplomatic missions. The canton’s police chief Frederic Gisler said a helpline has been opened for relatives seeking information about missing family members.
“I can’t hide from you that we are all shaken by what happened overnight in Crans,” Gisler said.“Our count is about 100 injured, most of them seriously, and unfortunately tens of people are presumed dead,” he added.
While Gisler declined to confirm an exact death toll, the Italian Foreign Ministry, citing Swiss police information, said the number of fatalities stood at around 40. Injured victims have been transferred to hospitals in Sion, Lausanne, Geneva, and Zurich, authorities said.
Emergency services mounted a massive response, deploying 10 helicopters and 40 ambulances to the scene. Police said many victims suffered severe burns, and the entire area around the bar has been sealed off, with a temporary no-fly zone imposed over Crans-Montana to facilitate rescue operations.
Swiss Federal President Guy Parmelin, expressing condolences on social media platform X, said the tragedy had plunged the country into mourning.“What was meant to be a moment of joy turned, on the first day of the year in Crans-Montana, into mourning that touches the entire country and far beyond,” he said.
Prosecutor Pilloud said authorities are prioritizing forensic identification of the victims to ensure their bodies can be returned to families as quickly as possible.“A lot of resources have been mobilized to identify the victims. These efforts are intended to allow us to return the bodies to families as soon as possible,” she said.
Investigations into the cause of the explosion and fire are ongoing, as Switzerland grapples with one of the deadliest civilian disasters in recent years. Support from Reuters
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