GENEVA, Jan 1 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- Several dozen people were killed and around 100 others injured when a fire broke out at a bar in the Swiss ski resort town of Crans-Montana on New Year's Eve, authorities said Thursday, adding that foreign guests could also be among the dead and injured, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported.
Frederic Gisler, the police commander of the canton of Valais, told a joint press briefing that the tragedy claimed "several dozen" lives, with dozens more wounded.
State Council President Mathias Reynard said around 100 people were wounded, "most of whom were seriously injured," and had been taken to various hospitals. He said hospital capacities in Valais are currently at their limit, with several patients taken to facilities outside the canton, especially to university hospitals.
Emergency services were deployed on a massive scale, with 10 helicopters in action and 150 emergency responders called up. Authorities urged the public to take care so that hospital capacities are not placed under further strain. The Valais Hospital is working with hospitals across the country to treat the injured, they added.
Authorities said it would be premature to provide more precise figures or identify the victims. "It’s too early for that," they said, adding that no exact death toll would be announced for the time being.
The cause of the fire remains unclear. Valais Attorney General Beatrice Pilloud said it was still too early to draw conclusions, but noted that there was "primarily no explosion," despite earlier reports of a blast being involved.
She also stressed that at no point was there any question of a terrorist attack taking place.
Pilloud said an investigation into the cause of the fire has begun, with support from the Zurich Forensic Institute. She added that efforts are also underway to identify the dead.
Authorities appealed for restraint and warned against speculation about the cause of the fire, citing respect for the relatives of the victims.
-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU
BERNAMA provides up-to-date authentic and comprehensive news and information which are disseminated via BERNAMA Wires; www.bernama.com; BERNAMA TV on Astro 502, unifi TV 631 and MYTV 121 channels and BERNAMA Radio on FM93.9 (Klang Valley), FM107.5 (Johor Bahru), FM107.9 (Kota Kinabalu) and FM100.9 (Kuching) frequencies.
Follow us on social media :
Facebook : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatv, @bernamaradio
Twitter : @bernama.com, @BernamaTV, @bernamaradio
Instagram : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatvofficial, @bernamaradioofficial
TikTok : @bernamaofficial
