“He was holding a candle very close to the ceiling.” Testimonies from the restaurant in a ski resort in Switzerland where dozens of people died in the fire

The exact number of people who died on New Year's in the bar in the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana is unknown and about 12 hours after the tragedy. However, the authorities are talking about dozens of dead and injured. Those who escaped alive from the fire reminiscent of the Collective recounted moments of horror.

The explosion took place at 01:30 local time, in the bar located in the French-speaking area of ​​Switzerland. Two young women who were in the venue at the time of the incident told French news channel BFMTV that the wooden ceiling of the disco in the basement of the bar caught fire.

“At one point, a waiter climbed on the shoulders of another waiter. He was holding a birthday candle, which was very close to the ceiling, and it caught fire in two minutes,” said the two witnesses.

The two young women also said that there were several hundred people inside the building, information also confirmed by the Swiss authorities, who said that more than 100 people were in the bar at the time of the explosion.

“The exit staircase from the discotheque was very narrow, there was a big crowd”, continued the two young women, who managed to escape at the last moment.

The witnesses also told BFMTV that they saw many injured, many seriously, collapsing at the exit of the bar.

What is known so far about the tragedy in the resort of Crans-Montana

The explosion, followed by a violent fire, occurred at 01:30 local time (00:30 GMT) in the Constellation bar, popular with tourists, as people celebrated the New Year.

The Swiss authorities held a press conference on Thursday in which they announced that:

• The blast and massive fire are believed to have killed “several dozen” people and injured around 100 others. Italy's foreign ministry says Swiss police say around 40 people have died, according to Reuters.
• The victims are of several different nationalities and efforts to identify them are ongoing.
• Most of the injured are in critical condition with serious injuries. The Valais hospital's intensive care unit is now full, with patients being sent to other hospitals for specialist burn treatment.
• About 10 helicopters, 40 ambulances and 150 response teams were sent to the scene.
• No cause of the fire was given, but the attorney general ruled out an attack.

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