About 40 people are dead and 115 others injured, most of them seriously, after a fire tore through a crowded bar during a New Year’s Eve party in the upscale ski resort of Crans-Montana in southwestern Switzerland, officials told reporters during a news conference on Thursday.

Sparklers on champagne bottles that came too close to the ceiling likely caused the Swiss ski resort bar fire that killed at least 40 people during a New Year’s party, officials said today. This appeared to lead to a flashover, in which everything in a room ignites almost simultaneously. Swiss prosecutors have opened an investigation into possible criminal responsibility.Work is underway to identify the victims and inform their families but “that will take time, and for the time being it is premature to give you a more precise figure,” said Valais canton police commander Frédéric Gisler during an earlier news conference.

Police had earlier said many people were being treated for burns. Valais hospital intensive care unit was full, and patients were being transferred elsewhere, said Mathias Reynard, head of the cantonal government. The affected community is in the heart of the Swiss Alps, just 40 kilometres north of the Matterhorn, one of the most famous Alpine peaks, and 130 kilometres south of Zurich. Some of the victims are from other countries, said Stéphane Ganzer, head of security for the Valais canton. Authorities said 10 helicopters and 40 ambulances had been mobilized.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani confirmed 16 Italians have been reported missing and about a dozen more are being treated for injuries.

The cause of the blaze, which was initially reported as an explosion, remains unclear, but authorities said it appeared to be an accident rather than an attack.
“There were people screaming, and then people lying on the ground, probably dead,” said Samuel Rapp, 21, who saw the aftermath of the fire. “They had jackets over their faces — well, that’s what I saw, nothing more.”
Work is underway to identify the victims and inform their families but “that will take time, and for the time being it is premature to give you a more precise figure,” said Valais canton police commander Frédéric Gisler during an earlier news conference.