Critical Condition for Most Crans-Montana Fire Victims

Devastating New Year's Fire Leaves Most Victims Fighting for Life

The majority of victims injured in the catastrophic New Year's Eve fire at Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland are in critical condition, with 80 to 100 percent facing life-threatening injuries according to local authorities. The fire, which broke out around 1:30 AM on January 1, 2026, has claimed approximately 40 lives and injured about 115 people in what Swiss President Guy Parmelin has called 'one of the worst tragedies in our country's history'.

Medical Crisis Unfolds

Stéphane Ganzer, director of the regional security authority in Valais canton, told French radio station RTL that 'we know that victims with third-degree burns covering about 15 percent of their body face the risk of dying within hours or days'. The severity of injuries is staggering - at Lausanne University Hospital alone, thirteen victims have burns covering more than 60 percent of their body surface.

The scale of the medical emergency has overwhelmed Swiss healthcare facilities, prompting international offers of assistance. Dutch burn centers in Beverwijk, Rotterdam, and Groningen have offered to accommodate six patients, though Switzerland has not yet accepted the offer. 'We have inventoried how many patients we can take without compromising acute care capacity for Dutch healthcare', said Eelke Bosma of the Groningen Burn Center.

Probable Cause: Champagne Sparklers

Investigators believe the fire likely started from so-called 'ice fountains' - sparklers attached to champagne bottles. French television channel BFMTV published two photos showing people holding champagne bottles with burning fountains upward, with one photo showing the ceiling catching fire above them. The fire spread with terrifying speed, suggesting flammable material in the ceiling accelerated the blaze.

Edmond Cocquyt, a Belgian visitor who witnessed the aftermath, described the scene: 'I saw bodies lying on the street. There were white sheets over the dead people and aluminum blankets over those with burns. The worst was the screaming - the screaming of young girls in pain as they were lifted onto stretchers. That screaming went through marrow and bone, and it went on and on for hours'.

Single Exit Tragedy

Multiple witnesses confirm the basement venue had only one staircase leading to the ground floor, creating a deadly bottleneck during evacuation. Stefan, a Dutch resident of Crans-Montana who frequented the bar, explained: 'If you have to evacuate three hundred people via one staircase, that's very difficult. You don't know how it happened, how people reacted. There was panic, of course'.

Cocquyt, who has visited Crans-Montana for 30 years, expressed shock at the safety oversight: 'There was only one exit, and that's quite bizarre. Switzerland sets high standards for everything. That they allowed something like this is quite bizarre. In Belgium, a basement café must always have two exits'.

International Response and Identification Challenges

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that French hospitals will accept victims, with at least six French nationals injured and eight missing. Italy reports six missing citizens and thirteen hospitalized. The first identified victim is 16-year-old Emanuele Galeppini, a talented golfer whose death was announced by the Italian Golf Federation.

Identification of victims is proving difficult as many were completely burned. DNA and dental examinations will be necessary to determine identities. Fourteen injured have been transferred to Poland, while Belgium is treating four victims. No Dutch casualties have been reported.

Historical Context and Investigation

The tragedy bears haunting similarities to the 2001 Volendam café fire in the Netherlands, where sparklers ignited a ceiling during New Year's celebrations, killing 14 and injuring 180. Swiss authorities have declared five days of national mourning and launched a comprehensive investigation into safety standards at the establishment.

As flowers and candles accumulate at makeshift memorials in Crans-Montana, questions about safety regulations, flammable materials in entertainment venues, and emergency preparedness dominate discussions. The investigation will examine whether the venue complied with fire safety regulations and what role the champagne sparklers played in igniting the deadly blaze.