Journalists talked to eyewitnesses of the tragedy at the Le Constellation bar. They told how the fire “turned the holiday into horror,” how they searched for relatives and friends in the fire, helped others get out, and saw how people burned alive.
According to police, 40 people were killed and another 119 were injured, mostly with severe burns. These are young people aged 15 to 25 years, citizens of Switzerland, France, Italy, Serbia, Bosnia, Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland and Portugal. Previously, there were no Ukrainians among them, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine informed in response to a request from the Air Force.
The prosecutor general of the canton of Valais, Beatrice Pilou, said all indications were that the fire was started by candle fireworks and sparklers mounted on champagne bottles and raised too close to the ceiling. According to her, this is evidenced by the analysis of video recordings and the testimony of several people who assumed that it was after this that the fire instantly spread through the bar, the entire decoration of which was made of wood.
The Tages-Anzeiger newspaper published one of the last photos from the Le Constellation bar, taken before the fire. It shows bottles of fireworks in the hands of those present in the bar. A witness filmed the moment foam ceiling panels, likely intended for soundproofing, caught fire. On the screens of mobile phones of visitors who were also included in the frame, the time shows 1.29, while the photo tag records 1.26, January 1, 2026, the publication noted. Officials said the fire was reported at 1:30 a.m.
Context
According to law enforcement officials, the explosion occurred in the Le Constellation bar on January 1 at 1.30 local time.
In the morning, Sky News, citing the police, announced 10 dead and as many more wounded. The police also confirmed to the channel that the incident is not linked to terrorism.
Swiss news outlet Blick speculated that pyrotechnics may have exploded during the concert. According to him, there were more than 100 people in the bar at that time.
Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs January 1 reported about 40 died in the fire.
