Switzerland's ski resort in town of Crans-Montana witnessed a deadly fire that ripped through a crowded bar in New Year's party and claimed at least 40 lives and left over 100 others injured, as AFP reported.
As investigators begin the gruelling task of identifying the victims and trying to determine what happened, here are some of the main issues they will seek to probe.
Many videos of the incident were shared on social media, showing the intensity of fire in a picturesque town's bar.
One of the video shows, people stuck in bar and panicking as the exit from it was disturbed and under the expanding range of fire.
In another video, a ceiling of the bar can be seen in fire and a man trying to get control over it by hitting it with a big white cloth.
Another video showing people running here and there in panic the bar, getting out of staircase exit, shouting, trying to find an escape amid fire.
The basement venue had only a single staircase exit, forcing panicked patrons to scramble for a way out as flames and smoke tore through the crowd. Horrified bystanders described scenes of “panic” as people tried to break the bar’s windows to escape, while others, covered in burns, stumbled onto the street.
Police, firefighters and rescuers rushed to the popular ski resort, set to host the Ski World Cup from January 30, after the fire broke out in the early hours of New Year’s Day.
“It was around 1:30 am (0030 GMT) when smoke was spotted coming out of Le Constellation bar at the heart of the resort,” police commander Frederic Gisler told reporters. Moments later, a witness contacted authorities. “Immediately, the red alarm, which mobilises the fire department, was triggered,” he said, adding that firefighters “quickly contained the blaze” as emergency crews treated the injured.
Authorities have opened an investigation but declined to speculate on the cause. Several witness accounts broadcast by Swiss, French and Italian media suggested the fire may have ignited when sparklers, mounted on champagne bottles and held aloft by staff as part of a regular show for special orders, came too close to the ceiling.
“I think there were some waitresses with champagne bottles and little sparklers. They got too close to the ceiling, and suddenly it all caught fire,” said Axel, who was inside the bar at the time, speaking to Italian outlet Local Team.
Le Constellation, located on the ground floor of a residential building, has a capacity of 300 people, with room for another 40 on its terrace, according to the Crans-Montana website. Several witnesses said the basement event space, where the fire is believed to have started, was connected to the ground floor by only one staircase, which some described as “narrow”.
Seventeen-year-old Bruno Martins said he arrived to meet friends only to find the bar engulfed in flames and surrounded by police. “It was total panic, people were trampling each other,” he said. At least one of his friends suffered severe burns, while others remained unaccounted for.
However, Wallis chief prosecutor Beatrice Pilloud cautioned against drawing conclusions, emphasising that the investigation was ongoing. Responding to reporters, she said she had visited the scene herself. “What exactly constitutes a narrow staircase?” she asked, noting that the probe would determine whether all safety standards were met.
Pilloud added that it was still “too early” to comment on whether emergency exits complied with requirements, or whether the proper procedures were followed before organising the New Year’s event.
Multiple sources told AFP on Thursday that the bar’s owners, French nationals originally from Corsica, were safe, though they have been unreachable since the tragedy.