The New Year’s Eve fire in the Swiss Alps that left dozens dead was likely caused by sparklers attached to bottles of Champagne, officials announced in a press conference Friday. Beatrice Pilloud, the Valais attorney general, said witness accounts and videos from the incident led to the determination.
Pilloud said the sparklers were “birthday candles” that anyone could buy. They were likely held too close to the ceiling of a crowded bar in Crans-Montana, igniting the fire.
Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™.
Point phone camera here
The latest
The death toll remains at 40, but officials from the Valais canton and the surrounding area said the number of injured had risen to 119. Of those, 71 are Swiss, 14 are French and 11 are Italian. The others are from Belgium, Poland, Portugal and Luxembourg, with the nationalities of 14 others still to be confirmed. Officials have yet to identify six victims.
“These figures are shocking,” said Mathias Reynard, the president of the Valais canton. Reynard also addressed families still waiting for answers, saying, “We are acutely aware of the unbearable weight of every passing minute without answers.”
Of those injured, many suffered severe burns. According to The New York Times, one father told reporters that his 16-year-old son suffered burns on 30% to 40% of his body while trying to flee.
“My son is not well, but he’s alive, and that’s what counts,” the father said.
Of those killed, officials say most were found in the basement, where the fire began.
The investigation into the fire is ongoing, but officials said the priority is identifying all the victims and informing their families.
However, Pilloud added that investigators are examining soundproofing foam that lined the bar’s ceiling. She said it was too early to say whether the foam complied with Swiss laws.
What happened
The fire broke out around 1:30 a.m. local time on New Year’s Day at a bar called “Le Constellation” in Crans-Montana, an Alpine ski resort municipality.
The location is about two hours from the Swiss capital of Bern in a region known as Valais Canton.
