In an update to the death toll, Gisler says police now believe “around 40 people have died and at least 115 have been injured”, many of them severely.
He says officials expect the victims to be of many different nationalities.
Key events A summary of today's developments Switzerland to hold five days of mourning A summary of developments so far Fire 'not deliberate act' About 40 people have died, with 115 injured – many severely Swiss officials give update Sixteen Italians missing after blaze; 12 injured Video appears to show ceiling of bar on fire Fire triggered a flashover or backdraft, which caused further blasts Patients at one hospital aged between 16 and 26 What we know so far Victims likely to have been from many different countries 'No explosive device involved' 'Several dozen' dead and 100 injured Police press conference begins 'Several' people have died, police confirm Opening summary
Switzerland will hold five days of mourning after an “unprecedented” fire tore through a crowded bar, killing about 40 people and injuring 115 who were celebrating at a New Year’s Eve party in the Alpine ski resort of Crans-Montana.
There have been no arrests and no crime is suspected, authorities said. The investigation is into the circumstances of the fire.
Mathias Reynard, head of the Valais canton council, said 42 ambulances, 13 helicopters and three disaster trucks were deployed from across the region. About 35 people sought care themselves at local centres while a further 80 people received care from hospital services.
Valais canton prosecutor general Beatrice Pilloud said she could not comment on reports that a candle set alight a wooden ceiling at the bar following video footage taken at the scene appearing to show the ceiling ablaze.
Sixteen Italians have been reported missing after the fire swept through the bar in the Swiss Alps, while about a dozen more Italian nationals are being treated in hospital, Italian foreign minister Antonio Tajani said earlier.
About 22 people are being cared for at Lausanne University hospital, according to its director, who said patients aged 16 to 26 were the most seriously hurt.
Dozens of young teenagers gathered in front of the police cordon outside the nightclub in an impromptu vigil. People placed candles and flowers near to the site.
Switzerland will hold five days of mourning after an “unprecedented” fire tore through a crowded bar, killing about 40 people and injuring 115 who were celebrating at a New Year’s Eve party in the Alpine ski resort of Crans-Montana.
The country’s president, Guy Parmelin, described the blaze as one of the most traumatic events in Switzerland’s history. “It was a drama of an unknown scale,” he said, paying tribute to the many “young lives that were lost and interrupted”.
The new year had passed its first hour and the party in Le Constellation was in full swing with revellers dancing to thumping hip-hop. Dawn was far off and the teenagers and twentysomethings were in no hurry to leave the bar. It was, after all, New Year’s Day, writes Chris Michael in Crans-Montana and Rory Carroll.
Outside, darkness draped Crans-Montana, a ski resort in the Swiss Alps with a reputation for poshness and luxury. Le Constellation, however, had few pretensions: a cavernous venue with TV screens on the top floor to watch sport, and a basement with low lighting, loud music and a dancefloor.
It attracted a young crowd, including under-18s, mainly from Switzerland and continental Europe, and early on Thursday morning hundreds thronged the venue to inaugurate 2026. Many would not live to see the sunrise.
Investigators are still investigating the cause of the horror that began at 1.30am.
Two witnesses said a bartender carried on his shoulders a female member of staff who held a champagne bottle that contained a lit sparkler, or flare, near the wooden ceiling above the bar area. An unverified photo posted on social media showed a white flame coming from a magnum of champagne. Others speculated that charcoal for shisha pipes may have spilled.
Alexis, 18, said he was outside Le Constellation bar when he first spotted the fire “through the glass doors”.
He told Swiss broadcaster RTS: “It was a real flame coming out.
“It was coming out and … in fact, people were running through these flames.
“You could see the shadows. People were trying to break the glass with chairs in the bar.”
Another witness, Alex, 21, told RTS he had just arrived outside the bar when the first fire victims emerged.
“I saw someone in their underwear, burned. That’s when I realised there was definitely something wrong.”
He recalls a “smell of gas, of melted plastic, a very unpleasant mixture. And then half a dozen burned people came out.”
Alex added: “It sent a chill down my spine to think that there were possibly still 50 people trapped inside.”
A graphic of the area around Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana.
People place candles and flowers near Le Constellation in Crans-Montana following the fire that tore through a crowded bar in the Swiss ski resort, killing dozens and injuring about 115.
Chris Michael
Dozens of young teenagers have been gathering in front of the police cordon outside Le Constellation nightclub in an impromptu vigil – even while the centre of Crans-Montana continues to bustles with skiers, skaters and tourists making the most of their holidays.
The president of Switzerland said earlier in the day that many of the victims of the Crans-Montana fire were young, and their friends came to pay their respects, often with tears in their eyes.
“I was going to go [to Le Constellation bar] last night, but I was in the centre of Crans and saw the chaos and decided not to go,” said Milica Lazic, who came with her father to lay flowers.
She said a friend is a bouncer at the nightclub, and that nobody had been able to reach him.
Le Constellation was a place for younger locals, many of whom, like her, would go there as kids, she added.
Her father, who asked not to be named, said he used to drink there 30 years ago, when it was under previous ownership. He added that it was common for Le Constellation not to have a cover charge, which could explain why it was so popular with younger people on a night of the year when some venues in Valais charge hundreds of Swiss francs just for entry.
Ernesto Perila, 56, the owner of the Crans-Café pizzeria down the street from the venue, confirmed that Le Constellation was something of an institution.
He said that like his own restaurant, Le Constellation was frequented by locals, rather than seasonal workers, and that unlike some bars it stays open all year round. He added that it would likely have received a late license for New Year’s Eve.
Crans was buzzing the night of the disaster, he said. “I took my family to the centre of the city to watch the fireworks and it was so crowded I even spoke to my wife about our escape plan.”
They went home after midnight, and shortly thereafter heard helicopters and sirens. “But I just thought it was a small fire in a kitchen or something, I couldn’t imagine what had happened and when I woke at 4am to see the news on my phone I was shocked.”
Karine Spreng, a Crans-Montana resident, said she may know someone who was present when the fire ripped through Le Constellation bar in the Swiss ski resort on Thursday.
Dominic Dubois, who witnessed the aftermath of the tragedy, said neighbouring bars stayed open through the night to welcome injured people and keep them warm.