CRANS-MONTANA: Forty new-year revellers lost their lives, 115 others got injured (most of them seriously), when a fire, caused by sparklers on champagne bottles, tore through a crowded bar named Le Constellation in the upscale Swiss ski resort here at 1.30 am, 1st Jan, 2026.
President of the Confederation, Guy Parmelin, while talking to journalists at a Presser held here, termed the resort fire, a drama of an unknown scale, one of the worst tragedies that Switzerland had experienced.
Taking to the X he held: “What was a moment of joy turned into a tragedy in Crans-Montana last night, felt across the country and beyond. The Federal Council has taken note of this with deep dismay. Its thoughts are with the victims, the injured and their families and it extends its deepest condolences.“
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his country’s solidarity. Taking to the X he stated: “The toll is devastating. Our thoughts are with the families.” Macron told that France’s hospitals were receiving injured people, and diplomatic teams were monitoring the situation to provide assistance to French nationals. According to the local authorities the cause of incendie remains unclear but it was not an attack.
The tragedy reminds the fire at a Turkish ski resort hotel claims 79 lives on 21st day of January, 2025. Expressing his condolences for those 79 tourists killed due to an incendie at the 12-storey Grand Kartal Hotel at the Kartalkaya ski resort here on Tuesday (21st Jan, 2025), President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated (by means of X): “I pray to God for mercy upon our citizens who lost their lives in the fire. I wish a speedy recovery to the injured affected by this tragic accident.”
Three of those panicked guests who jumped out of the windows in the middle of the night to escape the flames, died. Tragically, a neurologist, his wife and their 3 children too failed to escape the incendie. Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu confirmed that 51 guests got wounded and were hospitalised (one in ICU). Owner of the hotel and 10 others have been arrested.
It is pertinent to mention here that the hotel happened to have wooden cladding. According to sources the fire, started in the restaurant. The management of the Grand Kartal Hotel stated: “We are cooperating with authorities to shed light on all aspects of this incident. We are deeply saddened by the losses and want you to know that we share this pain with all our hearts.”
Newspakistan.tv
