RECAP: King Charles ‘heartbroken’ after Swiss resort NYE party turned into ‘nightmarish tragedy’ – leaving 47 dead and 115 injured

Thanks for following our live coverage of the Crans-Montana fire as we pause our live updates here.

Earlier we reported how several dozen New Year revellers are feared dead after a fire swept through a bar in a luxury Swiss ski resort.

Because of the severity of the burns, officials say it could be a protracted process to identify the bodies.

Although this page is pausing updates, you can read all the latest on the Daily Mail website including our top story here:

Officials revealed the following information regarding the devastating Alpine at a press conference in Switzerland.

• Forty-seven people have been killed in the incident, with a further 115 injured following the fire in the basement of Le Constellation on the Crans-Montana resort, an italian source has claimed.
• Sixty individuals are currently at a hospital in Sion. Meanwhile, others have been transported to hospitals across the country.
• It is unknown how many people were at the venue during the incidents, two officials, including the attorney general, said.
• The New Year’s Eve celebration was described as having a ‘young festive populatoin’ by a state councillor.
• None of the victims have been described as minors.
• The President of Switzerland, Guy Parmelin said the incident was ‘one of the worst tragedies our country has expcerienced.’.

Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani is set to travel to Crans-Montana on Friday, as his nation reels from the sheer number of Italians affected by the tragedy.

The latest figures suggest 13 Italian citizens were injured, and another six are still missing.

The ski resort is in the south-west of Switzerland, and many Italians had crossed the border to bring in the New Year there.

Three Arab nations have offered their condolences to Switzerland following the blaze.

Egypt expressed its sympathies for the victims of the tragedy, calling it a ‘painful humanitarian crisis’ in a statement on its foreign ministry’s website.

Oman’s foreign ministry also extended its condolences on X and wished those injured a speedy recovery.

Jordan expressed its ‘full solidarity and support’ for the Swiss government and people, and extended its condolences to the victims and their families, according to a post by its foreign minister on X.

A top official at one of Switzerland’s biggest hospitals has admitted that the country has too few major burns units to deal with the sheer number of people who have suffered serious injuries.

Dr. Robert Larribau, the head of emergency care at Geneva’s University Hospital, told the New York Times that around 50 people were badly injured in the blaze.

The Daily Mail has already reported several instances of people at the club who needed to be airlifted to their home countries after suffering severe injuries.

At least nine French citizens were injured in the deadly fire, while a further eight are still missing according to the country’s foreign ministry.

Three victims of the blaze have been transferred to hospitals in Paris and Lyons, the ministry said adding: ‘Other evacuations of injured people are underway.’

A French footballer is among the at least 115 people injured in the Swiss club fire.

Tahirys Dos Santos, a 19-year-old trainee soccer player from French club FC Metz, was ‘severely burned and has been transferred by plane to Germany where he is being treated,’ his club said.

It added that ‘the leaders, players, coaches and employees of the club are in shock and unite their thoughts to address them to Tahirys’ and thatit is working to enable the player to be repatriated to his home.

King Charles said in a statement today: ‘My wife and I were appalled, and greatly saddened, to learn of the devastating fire last night in Crans-Montana, in Switzerland.

‘It is utterly heartbreaking that a night of celebration for young people and families instead turned to such nightmarish tragedy.

‘While offering our admiration for the heroic first responders and the selfless emergency services, we wanted, above all, to convey our deepest possible sympathy to all those who have been so dreadfully affected by this horrific disaster.

‘Our most heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones of all those who have so tragically lost their lives and with those who remain in a critical condition in hospital.’

Three Italian nationals hurt in the tragic Swiss nightclub fire have been evacuated to a major burns unit in Milan’s Niguarda hospital.

Italian media reported that ‘a young woman, not yet in her 30s, and two young boys aged 1’ will be arriving in Milan this evening to be treated.

They have burns across ’30-40% of their bodies’ and remain intubated.

Italian councillor Guido Bertolaso added that the Lombardy region is monitoring the wellbeing of two more Italian nationals who are in hospitals in Bern and Zurich and may be evacuated soon.

‘However, they are in such critical conditions that Swiss doctors have advised against evacuating them at the moment,’ Bertolaso adds.