Vigil held for victims of Swiss bar fire which killed at least 40 and injured 115
Eighteen-year-old Alexis says he was outside Le Constellation bar when he first spotted the fire “through the glass doors”.
“It was a real flame coming out,” he tells Swiss broadcaster RTS. “It was coming out and… in fact, people were running through these flames.”
Anxious wait for victims' families continues after deadly Swiss bar fire
Almost 24 hours ago, a huge fire engulfed Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland.
According to authorities, the club was packed with a “young festive population” seeing in the new year.
Around 40 people have died, and a further 115 have been injured, police say. You can read more on what we know – and don’t know – here.
Now victims’ families face an anxious wait for information, with the identities of most of those killed still yet to be established. Swiss President Guy Parmelin warns this will “take time”.
We’re pausing our live coverage now, you can read more in our news story here.
'If I had arrived five minutes later, maybe I wouldn't be here now'
We’re continuing to hear from eyewitnesses to last night’s fire at Le Constellation bar, after a local politician says it was largely packed with a “young festive crowd”.
Speaking to Italian public broadcaster Rai News, Anthony says he’d been queuing to get into the bar when he saw smoke.
Describing how he initially thought it was a special effect, he says: “If I had arrived five minutes later, maybe I wouldn’t be here now.”
Axel tells the Italian broadcaster he broke a window, before losing half his clothes in the escape. “We were trapped, we thought we would suffocate,” he recalls.
Watching the chaos unfold, Louis remembers: “People came out burned, their clothes were burned, stuck to them. They were in a terrible state.”
Eight French citizens still missing, says foreign ministry
The French foreign ministry says eight of its citizens remain missing following Thursday morning’s fire at Le Constellation bar.
Earlier the police said around 40 people were killed and 115 injured in the blaze.
In a statement, the ministry says it can’t rule out that French nationals were among the dead.
