Swiss Ski resort fire survivors at Crans-Montana bar blame waiters waving sparklers near ceiling igniting flashover fire that led to 47 dead and 115 injured at basement bar as revelers stampeded single narrow stair exit in bid to flee inferno.
Survivors of a large blaze that erupted at an upscale Swiss ski resort that left at least 47 dead and upwards of 115 injured are citing revelers waving sparklers near a ‘low hanging ceiling’ at the resort’s basement bar as the cause for igniting the catastrophic blaze.
Single narrow exit after flashover fire erupting as revelers danced with champagne sparklers close to ceiling
Swiss authorities say ‘a large number of young people’ are among the casualties from a fire at the Crans-Montana ski resort, as work continues to identify dozens of bodies.
Police estimated about 40 people were killed and 115 sustained injuries when Le Constellation bar located at the basement of the upscale ski resort was engulfed in flames about 1:30am, local time, on January 1, although the exact death toll remains unknown.
Many young people had packed the venue for New Year’s Eve celebrations and reports indicate some were trapped as a ‘stampede’ ensued as patrons desperately sought to escape via a narrow staircase, which served as the single exit.
Witnesses have told European media outlets people were waving sparklers close to the bar’s wooden ceiling at the time the fire broke out, although officials are yet to confirm how the blaze began.
Dancing waiter alleged to have climbed on top of shoulders of waiter holding champagne sparkler igniting blaze
In a promo video, female waiters donning tight dresses, wearing bizarre neon helmets, can be seen carrying the blazing champagne bottles to tables at ‘Le Constellation’ bar in the upscale Swiss resort of Crans-Montana.
The young waitresses are seen carrying the bottles above their heads, with sparks almost brushing against the low ceilings of the nightclub.
One unsubstantiated report included one waiter climbing the shoulder of another waiter at the basement bar and ‘accidentally’ torching the ceiling.
A survivor of the blaze told French news channel BFM: ‘During the evening, a waiter climbed onto another waiter’s shoulders.
‘He was holding a birthday candle, which was very close to the ceiling, and [the ceiling] caught fire in a couple of minutes.’
Two women who survived the fire told France’s BFMTV network some of the sparklers were attached to champagne bottles. Swiss authorities on Thursday said the bar was engulfed after a ‘flashover’, which occurs when all combustible materials in an enclosed room ignite at the same time.
Young international revelers and question marks surrounding building fire code and safety
Not immediately clear is whether sprinklers were attached to the ceiling and whether they were activated at the time of the blaze. It remained unclear why the basement bar had a single exit and whether exits had been closed off. The venue had yet to respond to inquiries as to whether it had complied with Swiss fire and safety standards.
Recalled one reveller: ‘The staircase leading out of the nightclub was extremely narrow. There was a huge surge in the crowd. We managed to escape just in time.’
Preliminary reports indicated victims dying as a result of being engulfed in flames, suffocation and possibly being trampled on as revelers at the packed venue sought to flee via a single narrow exit.
Crans-Montana’s world-renowned slopes, luxury shopping and high-end restaurants attracts scores of wealthy foreign tourists during the ski season.
In Switzerland, it is generally legal for 16-year-olds to enter bars and buy and consume beer and wine, although the legal drinking age for spirits is 18. Celebrations had attracted an international crowd, with reports of up to 16 Italians unaccounted for. Up to 12 Italian nationals were taken to hospital for treatment.
Of the 47 who lost their lives, initial reports stated many of the victims being teens.
Crans-Montana is less than 100 kilometres by road from Switzerland’s borders with France and Italy.
The bar in the ritzy Apline resort, which is popular with international visitors, reportedly has a capacity of up to 300 people.
