Moment Swiss NYE nightclub fire that killed up to 40 people started: Video shows ceiling catching fire after ‘waiter held up sparkler in champagne bottle

This is the terrifying moment the ceiling catches fire in a Swiss nightclub during New Year’s Eve celebrations, sparking an inferno that has killed around 40 people and injured 100 others.

Witnesses described seeing people burning and suffocating to death as they raced to escape the ‘horror movie’. 

The blast occurred at around 1.30am local time (12.30am GMT) in the Constellation Bar, a popular venue located in the centre of the Alpine town of Crans-Montana. 

Dramatic footage shows enormous flames rapidly spreading over the ceiling of the cramped bar, as heavy music blares out of the speakers.

Panicked partygoers can be seen rushing to escape the venue, while others seem to remain underground filming the blaze, evidently not yet realising its danger. 

Moments later, however, music turned to horrified screeches as the entire bar erupted in flames. 

Crowds of people can be seen piling out of the door as they run for their lives while others scream to find their friends amid the chaos. 

Police have not yet disclosed the cause of the fire, but several witnesses said it started when a waitress, dancing on a male colleague’s shoulders, held a sparkler too close to the ceiling.

A promotional video for the club shows waitresses passing around champagne bottles fitted with sparklers, and carrying buckets full of several bottles also with sparklers inside. 

Images of the bar’s interior show what looks like sound-proofing foam fitted on the ceiling. 

Swiss daily Blick cited a doctor at the scene suggesting that the death toll could be in the ‘dozens’, while daily Le Nouvelliste said its sources were describing ‘a heavy toll’, with ‘around 40 dead and 100 injured’.

‘Several people lost their lives and others were injured,’ a police statement said, describing the incident as ‘serious’ and adding that ‘a major emergency response is underway’.

‘A large contingent of police, firefighters, and rescue workers immediately went to the scene to assist the numerous victims,’ it said.

‘The operation is still ongoing.’

‘More than a hundred people were in the building, and we are seeing many injured and many dead,’ said Gaetan Lathion, a police spokesman in Wallis canton in southwestern Switzerland.

A survivor of the blaze told French news channel BFM: ‘During the evening, a waiter climbed onto another waiter’s shoulders.

‘He was holding a birthday candle, which was very close to the ceiling, and [the ceiling] caught fire in a couple of minutes.’

Another women said: ‘The staircase leading out of the nightclub was extremely narrow. There was a huge surge in the crowd. We managed to escape just in time.’

Tim Steffens, a 19-year-old ski ski instructor who witnessed the blaze, described scenes od panic as the fire broke out.

‘Everyone was pushing and shoving their way out of the stairwell,’ he continued. ‘It was awful. They were all burned. Their clothes were burned away. It really wasn’t a pretty sight. The screams… not pretty, not pretty.’ 

Police commander Frédéric Gisler confirmed the fire ‘started in the basement of the bar’ and there was a crush as people desperately tried to get out via the single staircase.

Another witness, Emma, said the fire seemed to start after people celebrated with champagne bottles that contained candles. 

‘Some of the bottles were near the ceiling and it caught fire. The whole ceiling was in flames and the fire spread really fast. It happened in seconds. We ran outside, screaming and crying,’ she told BFM. 

Victoria gave a similar testimony. ‘It was firework candles inside a champagne bottle that caused the explosion. The entire ceiling of the bar caught fire,’ she said.

‘All the windows were black and opaque with smoke,’ she added. She believes many of the victims suffocated.

‘Some people smashed windows to let in air,’ she said. ‘I’m still shaking; many were crying as they left. It was mass panic.’

Albane, also at the bar, painted a picture of terrifying chaos as she described how people panicked and scrambled for the exit. ‘It was packed with people when the fire started,’ she said. ‘It was clearly accidental.’

She added that she saw the ceiling catch fire after sparkler was lit in a bottle on a high table.

Dalia Gubbay, a woman from Milan who has visited Crans-Montana over Christmas for the past 30 years, said her daughter-in-law ‘saw people burned, white sheets being placed over bodies’.

Adrien was also at the Constellation Bar when chaos ensued. ‘We saw people smashing windows, running and screaming,’ he said. ‘Parents were racing up in their cars. It was like a horror movie.’

Other reports suggest the blast may have been caused by fireworks – however police say this is yet to be confirmed. 

A witness added that ‘countless’ ambulances and several helicopters raced to the scene. 

‘There has been an explosion of unknown origin,’ Lathion said.

Around 100 people had gathered at the bar, which has a capacity of up to 300 and another 40 on its small terrace.

A doctor in the Swiss air ambulance and rescue service said hospitals are ‘overwhelmed with burn victims’ in comments made to local media.

A tourist from New York filmed bright orange flames pouring from the bar, and told AFP he saw people running and screaming in the dark.

‘Several people lost their lives and others were injured,’ a police statement said, describing the incident as ‘serious’ and adding that ‘a major emergency response is underway’.

‘A large contingent of police, firefighters, and rescue workers immediately went to the scene to assist the numerous victims,’ it said.

‘The operation is still ongoing.’

The Italian foreign ​ministry said information from Swiss police indicated about 40 deaths, but police would not be ⁠more specific than ‘tens’ at a press conference on the incident. 

Some of the victims are from other countries, said Stephane Ganzer, head of security for the Valais canton. 

Authorities ‍said 10 helicopters ‍and 40 ambulances had been mobilised. 

Shortly after 2pm, the authorities issued another statement regarding the fire. 

In a press release, the canton stated that a fire had resulted in a flashover at the bar, leading to one or more explosions. 

In fire dynamics, a flashover refers to the sudden transition from a developing fire to a fully developed fire in an enclosed space. During a flashover, all flammable surfaces in the room ignite instantly. 

Ambulances were still parked outside the bar hours later, and broken windows could be seen. Local media described a ‘smell of burning still in the air’.

Crans-Montana is a luxury ski resort town located in the heart of the Swiss Alps. 

It is approximately two hours from the Swiss capital of Bern and is popular with British tourists. 

Police said a no-fly zone is in place over the resort and the area remains completely cordoned off.

‘The party was in full swing… music and champagne flowing freely,’ a resident who said they lived nearby told 24 heures, a Lausanne newspaper.

But as news of the fire broke, they said, the carefree mood vanished and people began gathering in the street. 

‘We could hear the sirens in the distance. Around me, people were stunned, worried, silent.’

‘We heard helicopters all night long,’ another neighbour told 24 heures.

‘With the fireworks, we didn’t understand what was going on at first. Then we saw the smoke. It’s terrible, a lot of young people go to that bar.’

‘The fire started around 1.30am this morning in a bar called Le Constellation,’ police spokesperson Lathion said. 

‘More than a hundred people were in the building, and we are seeing many injured and many dead.’

Most of those injured were in a serious condition, said Mathias Reynard, head of the cantonal government. ⁠

Valais hospital intensive care unit was full and patients being transferred elsewhere, he said. 

Commuters coming into the town are breaking down in tears due to the horror of what has happened and locals expect the community to be in a ‘state of mourning’ for days to come.

One bus driver told the Daily Mail: ‘We think it’s firecrackers or fireworks. They’re banned in a lot of clubs and they should never be allowed anywhere near crowded places. This is an absolute tragedy.’

One resident, who lives in Crans-Montana, said: ‘I heard a number of massive bangs which sounded like bombs going off. It was crazy.

‘I live nearby. My heart felt like it jumped out of me. It was pounding.

‘I live hundreds of yards from the bar. I heard screaming and screaming and people running.

‘We will be in mourning for days. We will never get over this. How did it happen?’

The explosion was being considered a fire and not an attack, prosecutor ‍Béatrice Pilloud confirmed, ⁠adding that authorities were trying to get the bodies of the victims to their families. 

A helpline and reception centre has been set up for families seeking information about loved ones. 

‘We’re just at the beginning of our investigation, but this is an internationally renown ski resort with lots of tourists,’ Lathion added. 

The Constellation Bar’s normal closing time is 2.00am local time, which would have been 30 minutes after the fire began.

It is unclear if it was due to stay open later for New Year’s Eve celebrations.

Prosecutor Pilloud said: ‘We do not yet know the cause of the fire but we have ruled out terrorism.

‘There was a fire followed by a flash-over, meaning the air heats up and causes detonations.’

She continued: ‘Regarding fireworks, we cannot comment on this. It is too premature. I cannot give any more information on any possible causes. Out of respect to the victims and their families we ask that no speculation on the cause is made.’

She said ‘several foreign offices have been contacted’ but refused to confirm if the UK was included.

She added there was no information being released about victims’ nationalities and ages.

The first call to emergency services was at 1.31am on New Years Day with reports of smoke.

Four helicopters transported the injured to hospitals in Sion, Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich.

There were 150 emergency workers in the scene.

Police said it will take ‘multiple days’ to identify many of the victims.

Pilloud appealed to locals and tourists to not put ‘extra pressure on emergency services because operating theatres and intensive care are saturated’. 

Reynard said: ‘A night that should have been a celebration turned into a tragic nightmare involving serious numbers of victims.’

An eyewitnesses spoke of the horror in the aftermath of the explosion.

Lara, 28, a Dutch tourist, arrived on the scene nine minutes after the blaze.

She said: ‘It was mayhem. I was driving up the road. I saw horrendous things. I saw three young people carrying their friend. Desperately trying to get help. People were so burned.

‘No one knew what was happening.

‘It’s a young person bar. There are pool tables and a dart board. This is where the young hang out.

‘The ceilings are low. And it’s all wood. Wood everywhere.

‘And the stairs are narrow. Only three person-wide.

‘I just can’t imagine trying to get out.’

Bastien Frema, 20, a French holidaymaker, said: ‘People were screaming. I saw people with burnt clothing shredded, hanging off them.

‘People were yelling. Trying to get help. We couldn’t do anything. We just had to let the emergency services do what they could.

‘There were helicopters all night, until 8.00am. So many police and ambulances.

‘I know the bar well. It’s where you go if you’re under age. I fear the victims are going to be teenagers and people in their 20s. It’s a fun place if you’re young.’

Matthew, 28, a Swiss local, said: ‘It’s a really deep cavernous bar. You go down these narrow wooden stairs and then it goes on and on. There’s a smoking area at the back.

‘I was there the night before. My friend was in the Mexican opposite and he ran out and saw horrific injuries.’

Marceau Fortune, 20, a French hotel worker, was standing by the police cordon waiting for news from friends.

He said: ‘I heard a massive explosion. I thought it was a firework but I remember thinking it was just so loud. It was just one bang. I was down the street. I didn’t know what was happening.

‘I am worried for my friends. There are several I have not heard from yet. I’m waiting, waiting. Waiting on my phone. It’s just beyond horrific.’

The UK embassy in Berne said it has not been approached yet for assistance, but said that ‘nationals from multiple countries’ are likely impacted.

‘Swiss emergency services are responding to a fire in Crans-Montana, with nationals from multiple countries likely affected. We continue to monitor the situation,’ it wrote on X.

‘Whilst we have not been approached for assistance, our staff stand ready to support British nationals abroad 24/7.’

Hospitals in western Switzerland are under severe strain due to burn victims, and have released an appeal to the public: ‘Please show solidarity and refrain from risky activities on January 1.’

Crans-Montana is a large ski resort that is home to 87 miles of mountain trails. 

It is one of the top-ranked ski destinations in Europe.

The community is in the heart of the Swiss Alps, just 25 miles north of the Matterhorn. 

At the end of this month, it is due to host the FIS World Cup – a prestigious speed skiing competition.