Swiss bar tragedy: New photos show moment blaze erupted; sparklers put on champagne bottles

New photos have emerged of the deadly New Year’s Eve incident at a ski resort in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, showing the moment a bar ceiling caught fire.

The images, circulating online and verified by the BBC, show lit sparklers attached to bottles inside the Le Constellation nightclub and were shared with claims they were taken around the moment the fire broke out.




One of the photos shows people holding several bottles aloft with sparklers burning, while what appears to be flames can be seen on the ceiling above them.



A second image shows a person in a sleeveless black dress and a crash helmet holding a bottle with a lit sparkler, sitting on the shoulders of someone wearing a mask.



The blaze erupted during New Year’s Eve celebrations at the crowded bar, killing at least 40 people and injuring 115 others. Videos shared on social media show the intensity of the blaze inside the venue, with some footage capturing people trapped and panicking as the exit became blocked by the spreading fire.

Beatrice Pilloud, prosecutor-general of Valais canton, said investigators believe the fire was caused by sparklers attached to champagne bottles that were moved too close to the ceiling.

Also read | Swiss ski resort tragedy: Video shows moment New Year’s fire broke out - what caused the blaze

Swiss President Guy Parmelin described the incident as “one of the worst tragedies” the country has known. He said the identification of victims must be completed as quickly as possible, but stressed the process is “extremely difficult work” and “is something that will last a long time.”

Pilloud had earlier said, “currently we are favouring a fire and at no time is there question of any attack,” adding that she could not provide further details out of respect for the families. Police have confirmed the incident is not being treated as terror-related.

Le Constellation is located on the ground floor of a residential building and has a capacity of 300 people, with space for another 40 on its terrace, according to the Crans-Montana website. Several witnesses said the basement event space, where the fire is believed to have started, was connected to the ground floor by only one staircase, which some described as “narrow.”

As investigations continue, fears remain that an Italian teenager is among those who lost their lives in the tragedy.