A Luxembourger is among the injured after the deadly New Year’s blaze and fire at a bar in a Swiss ski resort in Crans-Montana, with Luxembourg’s foreign ministry in contact with its embassy in Bern as Swiss authorities work to identify victims and determine what caused the blaze. RTL has learned the injured Luxembourger is an 18-year-old who was at the venue with four friends.
He suffered superficial burns to a few fingers, while three of his friends were seriously injured.
Both Grand Duke Guillaume and Prime Minister Luc Frieden have since issued statements of condolence, offering sympathy to the victims’ families and to those injured.
The fire broke out during New Year celebrations in the early hours of Thursday, with Swiss police reporting around 40 people killed and about 115 injured. Authorities have said the cause remains unclear and have ruled out an attack.
Officials have further warned identification could take days or even weeks due to the severity of some injuries. Swiss President Guy Parmelin on Thursday called the fire “a calamity of unprecedented, terrifying proportions”, and announced that flags would be flown at half mast for five days.
Local hospitals in the canton of Wallis were quickly overwhelmed, with specialised units in Zurich and Lausanne also under heavy strain and some patients expected to be transferred abroad.
Investigators are examining evidence recovered at the scene, including mobile phones found in and around the venue. Authorities have urged the public not to speculate while the investigation continues.
