According to the Valais police, a fire at a crowded bar in the Swiss Alps during New Year's Eve celebrations killed about 40 people and left 115 injured, many of them seriously.
Eyewitnesses have shed light on the tragedy. Two French nationals told BFM TV that the fire broke out when a waitress placed a lit candle on a champagne bottle, which was too close to the wooden ceiling.
They said that one of the flames ignited the ceiling, and within seconds, the entire ceiling was engulfed in flames, and everything inside was made of wood. Panic ensued as patrons screamed and attempted to flee, but evacuation proved extremely difficult due to the narrow escape routes.
BBC reported that a promotional video uploaded to YouTube in May 2024 showed bar staff igniting sparklers attached to champagne bottles, a practice that may have led to the tragic blaze.
Many of the victims were young people celebrating the New Year, including foreign nationals. Local police have already contacted embassies to coordinate information sharing. The Chinese Embassy in Switzerland stated that, as of now, there are no reports of Chinese nationals among the casualties.
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