Video of a massive fire in an alpine resort in Switzerland on Thursday captured the horror and chaos that erupted in the area.
The fire can be seen on video along with people standing outside. A picture of the destruction shows a pile of rubble as rescuers try to save the victims.
The incident occurred less than a few hours after midnight as revelers gathered to celebrate the New Year, according to a report by The Associated Press. Dozens are dead and more than 100 injured, according to police officials quoted by the news agency.
Le Constellation in the ski and golf resort of Crans-Montana went from a place of celebration to the site of one of Switzerland’s worst tragedies.
According to Valais cantonal police chief Frédéric Gisler, “several dozen people” are believed to be involved in the incident. However, many media reports put the death toll from the incident at 40.
Efforts are underway to identify the victims and notify their families, but “it will take time and it’s too early to give you a more accurate number,” the police chief said, according to the AP.
How did the fire start?
The Attorney General of the canton of Wallis, Beatrice Pilloud, said it was too early to determine the cause of the fire as experts could not yet enter the wreckage to carry out the necessary inspections.
“At no point is there any question of any kind of attack,” Pilloud said, according to the AP.
However, French broadcaster BFMTV spoke to two women who survived the incident, who said they saw a barman inside carrying a barmaid on his shoulders, who was holding a bottle with a lit candle in her hand. According to them, the candle ignited the ceiling of the bar. The flames then quickly spread and collapsed the ceiling, the television reported.
Chaos as people rushed to escape the flames
BMFTV spoke to another witness who said people inside the bar rushed to the windows to escape the fire and broke them to get out. Some were seriously injured as they tried to escape the fire.
One person told BMFTV he saw about 20 people scrambling to get out of the smoke and flames, and likened what he saw to horror as he watched from across the street.
Parents of the juveniles, who were likely inside the business, also came to check in their cars to see if their children were trapped inside.
