New Year's Fire at Swiss Ski Resort Kills Dozens, Families Wait for News
Part of composite article Nations and Companies Race to Break China's Grip on Critical Minerals View full article →
A deadly fire has devastated a popular bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana. The blaze killed about 40 people and critically injured 80 others on New Year's Eve.
The victims include a group of young people from Milan, Italy. They had traveled to the well-known resort specifically to celebrate at Le Constellation bar. The bar was known as an affordable place for young people to party in the expensive resort.
Eight friends from the group escaped the fire. Three others were seriously injured. Two more, Marco, 20, and Gabriele, 18, had planned to go to the bar but changed their minds at the last minute.
Now, families face an agonizing wait. Authorities must formally identify the victims, a slow process that leaves relatives desperate for information. A collective grief hangs over the resort as the community mourns the tragedy.