“Our services are in constant contact with local authorities. We will provide new information on this matter on an ongoing basis,” adds Maciej Wewiór.
Read also: Tragedy in a Swiss resort. The cause may have been pyrotechnic materials
A dramatic night in the resort of Crans-Montana
About 40 people were killed and 100 injured, most of them seriously, in an explosion that occurred in a crowded bar during a New Year's Eve party in the exclusive ski resort of Crans-Montana, Swiss officials said on Thursday.
At 1:30 a.m. (00:30 GMT), a fire broke out in the “Le Constellation” bar in a resort in southwestern Switzerland. The cause of the explosion remains unclear, but authorities say it was likely an accident.
According to witnesses quoted by Reuters, the fire was caused by sparklers placed in champagne bottles, which caught the ceiling of the premises.
“The waitresses carried bottles of champagne with sparklers and held them close to the ceiling, which caused the fire,” said one witness.
— When the ceiling caught fire, within about ten seconds the entire nightclub was engulfed in flames – said one of the people present. “We all ran out screaming and when we turned around we saw flames,” she added.
There were supposed to be at least 200 people in the premises.
Tragic fire in Crans-Montana. The authorities declare a state of emergency
The authorities of the canton of Valais in Switzerland declared a state of emergency on Thursday after a tragic fire that broke out on New Year's Eve in the popular ski resort of Crans-Montana.
“Given the scale of last night's event, the cantonal authorities have decided to declare a state of emergency,” announced councilor Stephane Ganzer. As he explained, the new legal framework will enable the coordination of rescue operations on a large scale. The head of local authorities, Mathias Renard, announced that the number of injured was so high that there were no places in the intensive care unit and operating rooms of the regional hospital. Patients are transferred to other facilities.
10 helicopters and 40 ambulances were dispatched to the rescue operation, and 150 medical workers are participating in the operation.
Crans-Montana. The causes of the tragedy are still unknown
The attorney general of the canton of Valais, Beatrice Pilloud, stressed that it was too early to determine the cause of the fire because experts could not yet enter the damaged building. “There is absolutely no question of any attack,” she said. Witness accounts and preliminary findings show that the fire caused the explosion, and not the other way around.
Previously, the Blick website suggested that the explosion could have been caused by the use of pyrotechnics during the concert, even though the Crans-Montana authorities banned their use on New Year's Eve due to drought.
Victims from abroad
According to the authorities, the injured include people from abroad. Cantonal Police Commander Frederic Gisler announced that a hotline had been established for the victims' families.
The article is being updated.
