EDITOR’S NOTE: This story contains descriptions and video that readers may find disturbing.
As young partygoers rang in the New Year at a packed bar in the Swiss Alps, the celebrating quickly turned into a nightmare when a devastating fire tore through the basement, killing at least 40 people and injuring 119 others.
The blaze at Le Constellation in Crans-Montana has been described by Switzerland’s president as one of the country’s “worst tragedies.” As families anxiously await word about missing loved ones and experts work to identify the victims, authorities are still piecing together how the fire started and why it spread so fast.
Swiss authorities said Friday that the champagne sparklers were the likely cause of the fire, though the official inquiry remains ongoing. Emerging videos and eyewitness accounts reveal a deadly combination of hazards: fire-prone ceiling paneling and a crowded bar packed with young patrons funneling toward a narrow escape route.
Le Constellation, located in the heart of Crans-Montana, a luxury ski resort in the French and German-speaking canton of Valais, is a popular nightspot among young locals and visitors.
Continue reading the complete article on the original source
