A packed New Year’s Eve celebration at a Swiss Alpine nightclub turned into a scene of horror in seconds when a ceiling burst into flames, killing at least 47 people and injuring around 100 more, many with severe burns. Investigators are now examining chilling video that appears to show the moment the blaze began, as a staff member reportedly held up a champagne bottle fitted with a sparkling firework beneath a low, flammable ceiling decoration.
Moment the fire ignited
Witness footage from inside Le Constellation bar in the Crans-Montana ski resort shows a party in full swing shortly after 1:30 a.m., with loud music, strobe lights and revellers crowding a basement-level dance floor. In the clip described by French broadcaster BFMTV, a waiter or bartender can be seen raising a bottle of champagne above their head, with a lit sparkler-style flare shooting out bright jets just centimetres below the decorated ceiling.
Within seconds, flames appear to lick across the overhead material, which witnesses say was a combination of wood and decorative elements, before the fire races laterally and erupts into a sheet of fire over the crowd. Officials say the rapid spread is consistent with a “flashover” effect, where intense heat ignites combustible gases all at once, transforming a localized flame into a deadly inferno.
Panic, crush and desperate escapes
Survivors described scenes “like a horror movie” as partygoers realized the ceiling was on fire and bolted for the only main exit—a narrow staircase leading up from the basement club to street level. In the crush, people fell and were trampled, while thick smoke and heat made it almost impossible to breathe or see, forcing some to turn back and smash windows to escape.
Outside, witnesses saw screaming, badly burned victims stumbling into the street, while panicked parents raced to the bar after hearing about the fire, desperate to find out if their children were trapped inside. Police say “several dozen” people were found dead inside the club area, with many of the injured suffering life‑threatening burns and smoke inhalation.
What investigators say so far
Authorities in Valais canton stress there is currently no indication of any kind of attack, and early findings point to an accidental fire linked to pyrotechnic-style effects used indoors. The bar was reportedly packed with more than 100 people, and officials have confirmed the blaze began in the ceiling area above the dance floor, consistent with witness accounts about the champagne sparkler incident.
Fire experts say the combination of a crowded basement venue, limited exits, possible flammable decor and the use of open-flame effects created conditions similar to past nightclub disasters worldwide. Prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation to determine potential negligence, including whether safety rules on decorations, occupancy limits and pyrotechnics were breached.
Switzerland mourns one of its worst nightclub disasters
Local leaders in Crans-Montana and Valais have described the community as “devastated,” with identification of the victims expected to take considerable time due to the severity of the fire. Foreign ministries in neighbouring countries, including Italy, have already confirmed that some of the dead and injured are foreign nationals drawn to the upscale ski resort for New Year’s celebrations.
As makeshift memorials of flowers and candles grow outside Le Constellation, questions are intensifying about how a festive champagne show inside a fashionable Alpine bar could escalate into a catastrophe that claimed 47 lives in moments. For survivors and grieving families, the haunting image of a sparkler touching a ceiling and the fire that followed will remain the defining, heartbreaking moment of this New Year’s Eve.
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