Swiss investigators raced on Friday to identify victims of a ski resort fire at a New Year's celebration that killed some 40 people and injured around 115 more, in one of the country's worst tragedies.
Early Friday morning, the luxury ski resort town of Crans-Montana appeared enveloped in a stunned silence, although a handful of families with young children in ski suits were nevertheless preparing for a day on the slopes.
At the few cafes open, the tragedy appeared to be the topic of every muffled conversation.
"The atmosphere is heavy", Dejan Bajic, a 56-year-old tourist from Geneva who has been coming to the resort since 1974, said. "It's like a small village; everyone knows someone who knows someone who's been affected", he said.
It is not yet clear what set off the blaze at Le Constellation, a bar popular with young tourists, at around 1:30 am on Thursday.
Bystanders described scenes of panic and chaos as people tried to break the windows to escape and others, covered in burns, poured into the street.
Canton president Mathias Reynard said that at least 80 of the 115 injured are in critical condition.
Swiss police warned it could take days or even weeks to identify everyone who perished, an agonising wait for family and friends.
"Given the international nature of the Crans resort, we can expect foreign nationals to be among the victims", local police commander Frederic Gisler said.
Online, desperate appeals abound to find the missing.
"We've tried to reach our friends. We took loads of photos and posted them on Instagram, Facebook, all possible social networks to try to find them", said Eleonore, 17. "But there's nothing. No response".
The exact number of people who were at the bar when it went up in flames remains unclear.
Le Constellation had a capacity of 300 people, plus another 40 people on its terrace, according to the Crans-Montana website.
Guy Parmelin, who became Swiss president on Thursday, called the fire "a calamity of unprecedented, terrifying proportions" and announced that flags would be flown at half-mast for five days.
"We thought it was just a small fire — but when we got there, it was war", Mathys, from neighbouring Chermignon-d'en-Bas, said. "That's the only word I can use to describe it: the apocalypse".
The canton's chief prosecutor, Beatrice Pilloud, said investigators would examine whether the bar met safety standards and had the required number of exits.
Red and white caution tape, flowers and candles adorned the street where the tragedy occurred, while police shielded the site with white screens.
After emergency units at local hospitals filled up, many of the injured were transported across Switzerland and to neighbouring countries. — AFP
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