begin quote from NBC NEWS:
What we know about the Swiss ski resort fire
It was the moment New Year’s revelry turned into catastrophe.
A photo shows partygoers hoisting wine bottles fitted with sparklers, yet even as they toast the occasion flames are already visible on the foam soundproofing lining the low ceiling of the bar at the upscale Alpine ski resort.
The fire, which broke out around 1:30 a.m. (7:30 p.m. ET Wednesday) at Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland and left 40 dead, appears to have started when sparklers atop bottles were brought too close to the ceiling, Beatrice Pilloud, the Valais canton Attorney General, told a news conference Friday after preliminary investigations.
The sparklers appear to have led to “what is referred to as a flashover incident where the fire spread very rapidly,” she said. Investigators would assess soundproofing foam used in the ceiling, and whether anyone needs to be held criminally liable for the fire, she added.
On Friday, officials set about the painful task of identifying the dozens of charred bodies left by the fire, while emerging images and eyewitnesses gave an indication of the horrific scene that unfolded.
One video — like that photo, geolocated by NBC News to inside the venue in the early hours of New Year's Day — suggests that the panic was not immediate. Even as flames licked the rafters and debris began to drip down, some onlookers filmed on their phones while others kept dancing or talking over the music. Another person attempted to beat the flames with a white T-shirt.
Soon, it became clear this was a grave emergency. Another video shows the fire more advanced, the person filming quickly turning to run up the stairs toward the exit, urging others to hurry or get out of the way.
The official death toll still stands at 40, officials said on Friday.
Of the 119 people injured, 71 were Swiss nationals, 14 were French, 11 Italian, four Serbian, and one each from Bosnia, Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland and Portugal, Mathias Reynard, head of the regional government of the Valais canton, told Friday’s news conference. The nationality is unknown for 14 of those injured.
On Thursday evening, mourners had arranged hundreds of candles at a traffic circle near the venue, which had by this point been covered up in white plastic by authorities. There was an air of somber stillness, with the mostly young crowd sharing hugs, and expressions of shock and disbelief.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin described it Thursday as “one of the worst tragedies that our country has experienced.”
Geneva University Hospitals said it was treating five people. Most patients were young, between 15 and 30 years old, said Dr. Robert Larribau, the chief physician at the hospitals' emergency department.
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He told NBC News that many of them had "serious injuries" that appeared to have been caused by the twin phenomena of "backdraft" and "flashover."
Backdraft is when new air comes into contact with a fire that has used up all the available oxygen. This can lead "to immediate fatal injuries, including severe blast trauma, extensive thermal damage, and lethal inhalation of toxic gases," Larribau said, "and is therefore more commonly observed among nonsurvivors rather than among rescued victims."
Flashover occurs when all flammable materials in an enclosed space ignite simultaneously, causing "severe, often deep, burns predominantly affecting exposed body areas such as the face, neck, and upper limbs, and is frequently associated with critical inhalation injury due to intense radiant heat and superheated gases," he said.
"For those who survive, there will be weeks or even months of rehabilitation, and many will suffer lifelong consequences," he added.
Authorities said they had ruled out terrorism, saying that an explosion at the venue was caused by the fire, rather than the other way round.
They have not commented on the images of bottles fitted with sparklers. Those novelty drinks have appeared in past promotional videos for the bar, served by waiting staff wearing helmets rimmed with neon lights.
Axel Clavier, 16, from Paris, told The Associated Press news agency that he saw these drinks being handed out.
The French and Italian governments have said their citizens are among those missing.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who was in Switzerland, said dozens of interviews had been carried out. “Using fireworks in such a small location doesn’t really seem a very responsible choice,” Tajani said, adding that identifying those responsible would be up to authorities.
And the first victim was named by the Italian Golf Federation on Friday as Emanuele Galeppini, a young Italian golfer “who embodied passion and authentic values,” the federation said.
The French soccer club FC Metz said one of its youth players, Tahirys Dos Santos, 19, was among those injured and had been airlifted to hospital in Germany.
They had been partying at what Conde Nast Traveler had described as one of Europe's best ski resorts in 2025, calling the town "particularly chic."
With views of the iconic Matterhorn mountain, it attracts both serious skiers and socialites, serving as the home of the late "James Bond" actor Roger Moore during his later years before he died in 2017.
Alexander Smith and Matthew Mulligan reported from London and Daniele Hamamdjian from Crans-Montana, Switzerland.
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