Switzerland declares National Day of Mourning after Crans-Montana bar fire

Switzerland has declared January 9 a national day of mourning following a deadly fire at Le Constellation bar in the resort town of Crans-Montana that killed 40 people and injured 119 others, President of the Swiss Confederation and Economy Minister Guy Parmelin announced, according to Tages-Anzeiger.

As a sign of solidarity, church bells across the country will ring at 2:00 p.m., marking the start of the memorial ceremony in Crans-Montana. A nationwide minute of silence is also scheduled at that time.

Parmelin is expected to attend the memorial ceremony later that day.

The tragedy unfolded shortly after 1:30 a.m. on January 1, when the crowded venue—popular with young locals and international tourists celebrating the new year—was engulfed in flames, likely ignited by fountain sparklers on champagne bottles held too close to the ceiling, causing a rapid flashover that spread through flammable insulation materials. Emergency services responded swiftly with over 150 personnel, helicopters, and ambulances, but the intensity overwhelmed local hospitals, leading to transfers of severely burned victims to facilities across Switzerland, France, Italy, and beyond.

By Khagan Isayev