Heartbreaking eyewitness videos from the New Year’s Eve inferno at Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, reveal a tragic sequence of events where initial disbelief turned deadly seconds into catastrophe. On January 1, 2026, around 1:30 a.m., what began as a festive sparkler display ignited flammable acoustic foam on the low basement ceiling, sparking a rapid flashover fire that killed 40 people—mostly teenagers—and injured 116 others, many with severe burns overwhelming regional hospitals.
The footage, shared widely on social media and verified by outlets like BBC, CNN, The Guardian, and The New York Times, shows partygoers not fleeing immediately but attempting to extinguish the flames, filming the blaze on their phones, or even continuing to dance and cheer amid thumping music. One clip, geolocated inside the venue, captures a young man desperately beating at the growing flames with a white T-shirt or towel while others nearby hold up phones, laughing or recording what they mistook for part of the show. “We thought it was a joke,” one survivor later told Reuters. Another video from French economics student Ferdinand Du Beaudiez depicts flames ripping across the ceiling as revelers below sing, dance, and shout, oblivious to the impending doom.
“People started recording with their cell phones until someone shouted, ‘This place is on fire!'” recounted a witness to NBC News. In one harrowing sequence, silhouetted figures hasten amid firelight, but the bass-heavy hip-hop persists, drowning out urgency. Social media posts from X (formerly Twitter) amplify the shock: users decry “Instagram stupidity” overriding survival instincts, with clips showing no staff intervention, no fire extinguishers deployed, and music blaring as smoke billows.
The blaze’s origin traces to a bar signature: staff in crash helmets or Guy Fawkes masks hoisting colleagues on shoulders, parading champagne bottles topped with lit “fountain” sparklers—devices generating intense heat. Promotional videos from the bar’s own YouTube channel (uploaded May 2024) showcase this ritual, with sparks mere centimeters from the ceiling. Witnesses, including those on BFMTV, described a waitress elevated aloft, waving bottles too high during the midnight countdown. Prosecutor Béatrice Pilloud confirmed: “Everything leads us to believe the fire started from sparklers on champagne bottles moved too close to the ceiling.”
The 2015-renovated basement, packed beyond its 300-person capacity with around 200-300 young revelers (Switzerland’s drinking age: 16 for beer/wine), became a deathtrap. Non-fire-retardant foam soundproofing—described as “foamed gasoline” by fire experts—fueled ferocious spread, echoing the 2003 Station nightclub fire in the US. Narrow single staircase, jammed exits (one allegedly locked to bar adjacent property), absent sprinklers, and locked-away extinguishers compounded horror. A “big bang” flashover—superheated gases igniting—created explosive panic, with survivors smashing windows and trampling in smoke-filled chaos.
Heroism pierced the tragedy. French student Ferdinand Du Beaudiez re-entered twice to save his brother and girlfriend. Local father Paolo Campolo, alerted by his daughter’s call, pried open a jammed emergency door, rescuing at least ten teens despite smoke inhalation. Nearby Bar 1900 became an aid station, wrapping victims in curtains.
Victims skew young: 26 teenagers among the 40 dead (youngest 14-year-old Swiss girl and French boy), with 21 Swiss, nine French, six Italians, and others from Belgium, Portugal, Romania, Turkey. Identification dragged due to burns, concluding January 5. Crans-Montana, a posh Alpine resort with Matterhorn views, reels: silent marches drew thousands January 4; national mourning includes half-mast flags and January 9 ceremonies. Memorials burgeon with flowers, candles, teddy bears.
Outrage mounts over lapses. No fire inspection since 2019—despite annual mandates—prompted Mayor Nicolas Féraud’s “bitter regret” and sparkler ban. Owners Jacques and Jessica Moretti, French nationals running three local spots, face criminal charges: involuntary homicide, negligence. Past fraud convictions for Jacques add scrutiny. Experts probe occupancy, foam compliance, music continuation delaying evacuation.
Videos haunt: BBC Verify notes flames dripping before full panic; CNN describes “young people dance, laugh and film” as a man futilely swats flames. Fire consultant Olivier Burnier explains flashover’s speed in foam-lined spaces. Survivor Axel Clavier (16, French) smashed a window but lost a friend; 17-year-old Laetitia Place narrowly escaped.
This disaster spotlights modern perils: phone fixation trumping flight response, lax oversight in festive venues. As Switzerland repatriates remains—Italian honors flights—and audits escalate, Crans-Montana vows reform. “Such a huge accident means something didn’t work,” an official lamented. The serene peaks now scar with loss, urging: prioritize safety over spectacle, instinct over Instagram.
