Around 40 dead after explosion in Alpine resort of Crans-Montana

Swiss police believe that about 40 people died, and about 100 were injured as a result of a fire that occurred during New Year’s Eve party in an Alpine resort Crans-Montana. The rescue operation was attended by 10 helicopters and 40 ambulances.

The fire broke out at approximately 1:30 a.m. in a bar popular with tourists The Constellation, where New Year’s celebrations were taking place. Social media is circulating unverified photos and recordings, showing the burning premises, but the authorities appeal to rely only on official announcements.

As the services emphasize, it was not a terrorist attack or arson. Because of extensive burns many victims, their identification is difficult and may take time.

Authorities in the Valais canton reported that the fire killed “several dozen people“Commander of the Cantonal Police Frédéric Gisler he noted that at this stage too earlyto provide an accurate tally of the victims. In turn, the cantonal attorney general Beatrice Pilloud informed that the cause of the fire has not yet been determinedand experts they have not yet entered the interior of the destroyed facility.

– There is no question of any attack at any stage. – Pilloud emphasized.

The services described the incident as: “embrasement généralisé”

Emergency services described the incident as “embrasement généralisé” – a term used in firefighting, meaning sudden ignition of accumulated flammable gases in a closed room.
In practice, this corresponds to the phenomena known as:
– flashover – the moment when almost all flammable elements in the room ignite simultaneously,
– backdraft – a sudden outbreak of fire after oxygen enters the oxygen-deprived, smoky interior.

Such phenomena cause extremely rapid spread of fire and very high temperature, which significantly complicates evacuation.

Hospitals overloaded, appeal to residents

The scale of the casualties was so large that the intensive care unit and the operating theatre of the regional hospital quickly reached full capacity – informed the head of the regional authorities Mathias Rénard. They were sent to the place rescue helicopters and numerous ambulances, and among the injured there are people different nationalities.

Local authorities appealed to residents and tourists to special caution in the coming daysin order not to further burden the healthcare system, which is already operating at the limit of its capacity.

Crans-Montana, located in the heart of the Swiss Alps, is a renowned winter sports and luxury tourism resort that is expected to host more than 100,000 winter sports enthusiasts in the coming years. important international sporting events.

Source: Reuters

Mikele Bakhur

Journalist and Editor-in-Chief of Nowiny Wschodnie, a news platform followed by more than 140,000 people on social media. A graduate in Journalism and Social Communication, he has been co-creating and developing Nowiny Wschodnie since 2017. He gained professional experience working with local and international media.

He specializes in fact-checking, countering disinformation and propaganda, and information security. His work focuses on Poland, Ukraine, Eastern Europe, and Polish-Ukrainian relations. He is also the founder of a non-profit organization working in the fields of integration and intercultural dialogue.

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