Various tourists who survived this tragic fire from the bar The constellationin the exclusive Swiss ski area Crans Montana, Switzerlandrecounted the horror and minutes of panic amid the New Year celebrations. Although the number of victims and their identities are unknown, Swiss media say there are dozens and even 40.
Emma and Albanetwo young French women managed to escape from the crowded bar, as they reported to the BFM news portal. “There was absolute panic, everyone was screaming,” they said.
Although authorities did not reveal the cause of the deadly fire during a press conference, both tourists said it started one day Birthday candle or sparkler that one of the waitresses had placed on champagne bottles.
According to his story The exit door was too small for the number of people trying to escape the flames. In this regard, one of them broke a window to get out.
For her part, Victoria, another young French woman, described: “A sparkler in a bottle of champagne set the ceiling on fire when a woman standing on another person’s shoulders lifted the bottle too high.” The tourist assured that the flames were spreading “at a dizzying speed,” according to Swiss media view.
Meanwhile, the Tages-Anzeiger published that a witness spoke of thick black smoke, burning people fleeing the scene and others lying lifeless on the ground, a scene he described as “apocalyptic” and “war-like”.
Le Constellation has According to the Crans Montana website, it can accommodate 300 people indoors and another 40 on the terrace. A police spokesman said a hundred people had gathered there to celebrate the New Year.
A tourist from New York filmed bright orange flames coming from the bar. He told AFP that people were running and screaming in the dark.
A resident who claimed to live near the scene of the accident told local newspaper 24 heures that “the party was at its peak” when the fire broke out. “Music and champagne flowed freely” he explained.
But when news of the fire broke, the relaxed atmosphere disappeared and people gathered on the street. “We could hear the sirens in the distance. Around me people were stunned, worried, silent,” he told this newspaper from the city of Lausanne.
“We heard helicopters all night,” another neighbor told the same newspaper. “At first we didn’t understand what was happening with the fireworks. Then we saw the smoke. “It’s terrible, a lot of young people go to this bar” he explained.
The incident began at 1:30 p.m. (local time) in the middle of a New Year’s celebration “Fire of unknown origin” in the bar Very popular with tourists, the police in the canton of Valais in southwestern Switzerland said in a statement.
The exact number of victims has not yet been determined and no information about their identities is provided. “It’s too early for that,” officials said at a news conference this morning.
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