SHOTLIST:

CRANS-MONTANA, SWITZERLAND (JAN. 1, 2026) (ANADOLU – ACCESS ALL)

1. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE GATHERED LEAVING FLOWERS FOR VICTIMS AND MOURNING / POLICE TAKING SECURITY MEASURES CRANS-MONTANA, SWITZERLAND - JAN. 1, 2026: People in the Swiss town of Crans-Montana gathered on Thursday, Jan. 1, to leave flowers in memory of those killed and injured by a fire at the local ski resort.

Floral offerings were placed at the site as a gesture of mourning and respect within the community.

Several dozen people were killed and around 100 others injured when a fire broke out at a bar in the Swiss ski resort town of Crans-Montana on New Year's Eve, authorities said Thursday, adding that foreign guests could also be among the casualties.

Frederic Gisler, the police commander of the canton of Valais, told a joint press briefing that the blaze had claimed "several dozen" lives, with dozens more wounded.

State Council President Mathias Reynard said around 100 people were wounded, most of them “seriously injured," and had been taken to various hospitals. He said hospitals in Valais are currently at full capacity, with several patients taken to facilities outside the canton, especially to university hospitals.

Emergency services were deployed on a massive scale, with 10 helicopters used and 150 emergency responders called up. Authorities urged the public to take care so that hospital capacities are not placed under further strain. The Valais Hospital is working with hospitals across the country to treat the injured, they added.

Authorities said it would be premature to provide more precise figures or identify the fire’s victims, adding that no exact death toll would be announced for now.

The cause of the fire remains unclear. Valais Attorney General Beatrice Pilloud said it was still too early to draw conclusions, but noted that there was "primarily no explosion," despite earlier erroneous reports of a blast being involved.

She also stressed that at no point was there any question of a terrorist attack taking place.

Pilloud said an investigation into the cause of the fire has begun, with support from the Zurich Forensic Institute. She added that efforts are also underway to identify the dead.

Authorities appealed for restraint and warned against speculation over the cause of the fire, urging respect for the relatives of the victims.

Swiss President Guy Parmelin lamented the incident, saying: "What should have been a moment of joy turned into a tragedy on New Year's Day in Crans-Montana, a time of mourning that has affected the entire country and far beyond."

In a post on US social media platform X, he stressed that the Federal Council learned of this "terrible tragedy with deep sorrow," extending condolences to the loved ones of the victims and the injured.