Zurich: New photos have emerged of the mortiferous New Year’s Eve incident at a ski resort in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, showing the moment a bar ceiling unprotected fire. The images, which have gone viral on social media, show lit sparklers tying to bottles inside the Le Constellation nightclub and have thrown fresh light on the events and causes leading up to the tragedy.
These photos were taken during New Year’s Eve festivities inside the Le Constellation nightclub and were shared with claims they were taken virtually the moment the fire tapped out.
What does the photos reveal?
One of the photos shows people holding several bottles upon with sparklers burning, while what appears to be flames can be seen on the ceiling whilom them. A second image shows a person in a sleeveless woebegone dress and a crash helmet holding a snifter with a lit sparkler, sitting on the shoulders of flipside person who was wearing a mask.
How did the tragedy unfold?
The tinder erupted during New Year’s Eve celebrations at the crowded bar, killing at least 40 people and injuring 115 others. Videos shared on social media show the intensity of the tinder inside the venue, with some footage capturing people trapped and panicking as the exit became obstructed by the spreading fire.
Beatrice Pilloud, prosecutor-general of Valais canton, said investigators believe the fire was caused by sparklers tying to champagne bottles that were moved too tropical to the ceiling.
What has the Swiss government said?
Swiss President Guy Parmelin described the incident as “one of the worst tragedies” the country has known.
He said the identification of victims must be completed as quickly as possible, but stressed the process is “extremely difficult work” and “is something that will last a long time.”
Pilloud had older said, “currently we are favouring a fire and at no time is there question of any attack,” subtracting that she could not provide remoter details out of respect for the families. The police have confirmed that the incident is not stuff treated as terror-related.
Le Constellation is located on the ground floor of a residential towers and has a topics of 300 people, with space for flipside 40 on its terrace, equal to the Crans-Montana website. Several witnesses said the vault event space, where the fire is believed to have started, was unfluctuating to the ground floor by only one staircase, which some described as narrow. As investigations continue, fears remain that an Italian teenager is among those who lost their lives in the tragedy.
