2026 Crans-Montana bar fire

On the night between 31 December 2025 and 1 January 2026, a fire broke out in a bar in Crans-Montana, Valais, Switzerland.^[2] There was a flashover.^[3] The alert to the police was given around 1.30am.^[2] Over 100 people were in the bar at that time, during end-of-year celebrations. According to first accounts, over 40 people were killed and at least 100 were injured.^[4] The Italian government speaks about more than 40 people killed, and at least 100 people injured.^[5] Media said that most of the injured people were gravely injured, with burns.^[6][7] Recently, the number of people affected were increased to over 40 dead, and at least 115, mostly gravely injured.^[8] People were taken to hospitals as far away as Lausanne, Geneva, Zürich and Stuttgart. Italy gave the rescuers access to a hospital in Milan that specializes in treating burns.^[9] During the night, more than 150 medical specialists helped the rescue efforts.^[3] A no-fly-zone was established over Crans-Montana.^[10] Many of the people were adolescents.^[7] On January 4, all 40 people who died have been formally identified.^[11] About half of them were minors, about half were Swiss.^[11]

The cause of the fire is still unknown. At the moment, police think it was an accident.^[12] According to eye-witnesses, a bottle with sparklers was moved too close to the ceiling, which then caught fire.^[6] Swiss authoritties currently think this is the most likely scenario.^[13]

A criminal investigation was started against the owners of the bar.

Le Constellation was a bar, nightclub, and café in Crans-Montana, mainly popular with international tourists. It could hold 300 people and 40 could be accommodated on the terrace. The bar included a shisha and smoking area in addition to 14 TV screens for the viewing of sports, particularly football.^[14]

The bar had been "a real institution", according to BBC News, and had "been around for at least 40 years".^[15] It was acquired and remodeled in 2015 by a married couple from Corsica who own several establishments in the region.^[14] Swiss media reported that guests previously rated the bar poorly on online rating platforms, complaining about poor treatment of personnel, a lack of professionalism, and security deficiencies.^[14]

When it comes to fire protection, Switzerland has very high standards. Public places, such as bars, get checked regularly. It on the village or town to organise checks, for the bars and clubs there. Other restaurant owners said that the town did not do enough checks. Some restaurant-owners said they were checked twice in ten years. They spoke about Mafia-like structures that existed.^[16] The owner of the bar in question said there had been three checks in ten years, and that for everything, the correct procedure had been followed.^[17] An architect living told the New York Times that the emergency exists did not meet requirements, and that one had even been closed. The bar in question had not been checked for security since 2020. Swiss law mandates such checks every year or every second year. The youngest people among the dead and injured are 14 years old. They should not have been in the club past 10pm, without their parents. Also, it is currently unclear whether alcoholic drinks were served to them. In Switzerland, people below 16 are not allowed to drink alcohol.