"Outside, darkness draped Crans-Montana, a ski resort in the Swiss Alps with a reputation for poshness and luxury. Le Constellation, however, had few pretensions: a cavernous venue with TV screens on the top floor to watch sport, and a basement with low lighting, loud music and a dancefloor. It attracted a young crowd, including under-18s, mainly from Switzerland and continental Europe, and early on Thursday morning hundreds thronged the venue to inaugurate 2026."
"Investigators are still investigating the cause of the horror that began at 1.30am. Two witnesses said a bartender carried on his shoulders a female member of staff who held a champagne bottle that contained a lit sparkler, or flare, near the wooden ceiling above the bar area. An unverified photo posted on social media showed a white flame coming from a magnum of champagne. Others speculated that charcoal for shisha pipes may have spilled."
A New Year’s party in Le Constellation, a basement bar in Crans-Montana, was crowded with teenagers and twentysomethings. Flames began around 1.30am and spread across the wooden basement ceiling. Two witnesses said a bartender carried a female staff member with a champagne bottle that contained a lit sparkler near the ceiling; an unverified photo showed a white flame from a magnum. Others suggested shisha charcoal may have spilled. Videos show people silhouetted by fire while patrons tried to extinguish flames and music continued. Swiss officials described the blaze as an embrasement généralisé — a flashover or backdraft. Many patrons did not live to see sunrise and investigators are seeking the cause.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]