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At least 10 people were killed and dozens of others injured after an explosion followed by a fire tore through a bar in the Swiss ski resort town of Crans-Montana during New Year's Eve celebrations, with local media reporting the toll could rise to around 40 dead and 100 injured.
Swiss police told Sky News the death toll has risen to at least 10, adding that around 10 others were injured, several of them seriously. Authorities said the incident is not being treated as terrorism-related.
Regional daily Le Nouvelliste reported its sources were describing "a heavy toll," with "around 40 dead and 100 injured."
Swiss daily Blick cited a doctor at the scene suggesting the death toll could be in the "dozens."
"Several dozen" people are believed to have died, and around 100 were injured when a fire ripped through a crowded bar in the luxury Swiss ski resort town of Crans-Montana, police said Thursday.
"Several dozen people are presumed to have died," Frederic Gisler, police commander in the Wallis canton in southwestern Switzerland, told reporters.
Valais Cantonal Police spokesperson Gaetan Lathion confirmed the incident, telling AFP: "There has been an explosion of unknown origin. There are several injured, and several dead."
"We are seeing many injured and many dead," Lathion said.
"We're just at the beginning of our investigation, but this is an internationally renowned ski resort with lots of tourists," Lathion added.
Earlier reports indicated "more than two people have lost their lives," though the death toll has since risen significantly.
A doctor with the Swiss air ambulance and rescue service told national broadcaster RTS that nearby hospitals are "overwhelmed with burn victims."
Cantonal and municipal police, firefighters and emergency medical teams were deployed to the scene, with several helicopters assisting in rescue operations.
"We heard helicopters all night long," a neighbor told Swiss outlet 24 heures.
"With the fireworks, we didn't understand what was going on at first. Then we saw the smoke. It's terrible; a lot of young people go to that bar," the neighbor added.
Cantonal and municipal police, firefighters, and emergency medical teams were deployed to the scene, with several helicopters assisting in rescue operations.
The area has been completely closed off, and a no-fly zone has been imposed over Crans-Montana, police said in a statement. Emergency response efforts are still ongoing.
"Authorities have set up a helpline for families seeking information about people who were at the Valais resort overnight," Lathion said.
A tourist from New York filmed bright orange flames pouring from the bar and told AFP he saw people running and screaming in the dark.
"The party was in full swing... music and champagne flowing freely," a resident who said they lived nearby told 24 heures. "But as news of the fire broke, the carefree mood vanished and people began gathering in the street. We could hear the sirens in the distance. Around me, people were stunned, worried, and silent."
Ambulances were still parked outside the bar hours later, and broken windows could be seen. Local media described a "smell of burning still in the air."
The blast occurred at around 1:30 a.m. local time (0030 GMT) at the Le Constellation Bar and Lounge, a two-story venue that was hosting more than 100 people at the time.
"More than a hundred people were in the building, and we are seeing many injured and many dead," police spokesperson Gaetan Lathion said.
"We're just at the beginning of our investigation, but this is an internationally renowned ski resort with lots of tourists," Lathion added.
The cause of the explosion has not yet been determined.
Unverified reports circulating on social media suggest the fire may have been triggered by pyrotechnic devices used during a concert at the venue. Police have not confirmed these claims.
Police spokesman Lathion told Agence France-Presse (AFP) earlier that there had first been an "explosion of unknown origin" at Le Constellation.
Le Constellation has a capacity of 300 people and another 40 people on its terrace, according to the Crans-Montana website.
Crans-Montana is one of the top-ranked ski destinations in Europe, located in the Valais canton in southwestern Switzerland.
The community is in the heart of the Swiss Alps, just 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of the Matterhorn and 130 kilometers (81 miles) south of Zurich.
The highest point of Crans-Montana, with a population of 10,000 residents, sits at an elevation of nearly 3,000 meters (1.86 miles).
The municipality was formed only nine years ago, on Jan. 1, 2017, when multiple towns merged. It extends over 590 hectares (2.3 square miles) from the Rhône Valley to the Plaine Morte glacier.
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