What began as a glamorous New Year’s Eve celebration at the upscale Le Constellation bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana turned into unimaginable horror when a devastating fire ripped through the crowded venue shortly after midnight, claiming around 40 lives and injuring over 115 others, many seriously.

The blaze erupted around 1:30am on January 1 during packed festivities, with revelers — mostly young locals and tourists — toasting the new year. Preliminary investigations point to sparklers attached to champagne bottles igniting foam soundproofing on the low ceiling, causing a rapid “flashover” that engulfed the bar in flames within seconds. Witnesses described agonizing screams as panic spread, with people piling at narrow exits and some tumbling from windows to escape.

Survivors recounted narrow escapes that left them choking back tears. One 18-year-old told reporters: “It happened in seconds — the ceiling was on fire, people burning. I saw clothes melt off bodies. It was hell on earth.” Another described helping injured victims whose skin was severely burned, saying: “I gave my jacket to one man — he was shaking, in shock.”

The tragedy has been called one of Switzerland’s worst in modern history. President Guy Parmelin declared five days of national mourning, describing it as “one of the most traumatic events our country has ever experienced.” Flags fly at half-mast, and vigils with candles and flowers have formed near the sealed-off site.

Of the 115 injured, many suffered severe burns, overwhelming local facilities and requiring transfers to specialist units in Zurich, Lausanne, and even Milan, Italy. Victims include Swiss nationals and tourists from France, Italy, Serbia, and beyond.

The bar, a popular spot for young partygoers with no cover charge, was packed beyond capacity. Investigators are probing safety standards, exit adequacy, and the exact spark cause — though sparklers remain the leading theory.

As identification continues — a painful process expected to take days or weeks — the world mourns lives cut short in a moment of joy turned to terror. This New Year’s Eve inferno serves as a haunting reminder of how quickly celebration can become catastrophe, leaving survivors forever scarred and a nation in grief.