About 40 people died and 115 were injured, many of them seriously, in a fire at a bar in a ski resort in Switzerland.

At a press conference, they expressed that the victims of the tragedy They are of different nationalities and work is underway to identify them. The Italian Foreign Ministry quoted Swiss police as saying that there are about 40 dead who have not been identified due to burns. Many of the injured also have “significant” injuries and burns. About 10 helicopters, 40 ambulances, and 150 rescue workers have been sent to the scene in Crans-Montana, in the canton of Valais. The intensive care unit at the hospital in Valais is completely full, with patients being transferred to other burn centers. Officials warned the public to take precautions to avoid putting additional pressure on hospitals. The cause of the fire was not mentioned, but a local prosecutor ruled out an attack. A witness who spoke to France's BFMTV channel described people breaking windows to escape the blaze, some severely burned. He also told of parents running in a panic towards the scene to see if their children were trapped inside.

Other witnesses who saw the events from outside on the street described them as a horror movie and recounted seeing about 20 people hurriedly trying to escape the smoke and flames.

Police released a video taken after the fire showing the terrace of the Le Constellation bar.

Tables, chairs, and cushions are scattered around the premises. It is believed that the fire started on the floor below.

You can see: Tragedy in Switzerland: why the use of fireworks can be deadly in enclosed spaces

What is known so far

At about 1:30 a.m. local time (00:At 30:00 GMT, a fire of "undetermined origin" broke out at the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana. A young man inside the bar told the 24 Heures news program that "pyrotechnic devices placed in bottles ordered (by customers) at the nightclub apparently caused a fire in the ceiling," which "exploded very quickly," triggering scenes of panic. A Crans-Montana resident also told the same news program that he had "heard helicopters all night." "With the fireworks, at first we didn't understand what was going on. And then we saw the smoke." Getty Images. The area has been completely cordoned off while rescue and investigation operations are underway.

At the press conference subsequently given by Valais authorities, the causes of the fire were not discussed, but witnesses cited by Swiss media blame fireworks.

The spokesman for the Valais cantonal police, Gaetan Lathion, previously mentioned to AFP "an explosion of unknown origin," but did not provide further details.

Some reports suggest there are at least 40 dead, but the police have limited their information to "dozens." What they emphasized is that many people have been affected by the tragedy, likely of different nationalities. They stated that it will take some time to determine who died, who was injured, and where they are from. The area has been completely cordoned off, and air traffic over Crans-Montana has been banned to allow access only for rescue vehicles. Police stated at the press conference that everyone involved in the operation is deeply affected by this painful moment. Valaisanne Cantonal Police. Police released images of the bar's interior, showing tables and chairs overturned in disarray.

Police Cantonale Valaisanne