Swiss nightclub fire survivor relives horror blaze that was 'like terrifying war scene'

Ferdinand Du Beaudiez who was in the Constellation Bar in Crans-Montana (Image: Tim Merry/Staff Photographer)

A student has told how he heroically went backwards and forwards in and out the blazing Les Constellation bar in a selfless bid to save lives.

Ferdinand Du Beaudiez, 19, was partying inside the nightspot with six loved ones, including his brother, who remains in a coma, and his girlfriend, when the blaze broke out at around 1.30am on New Year's Eve.

Returning to the scene of the disaster for the first time, he today gave remarkable witness testimony about the moment the fire began.And he told how he attempted to use water to put it out before witnessing scenes he compared to a war-zone.

Ferdinand, who is studying finance and economics at Munich University, said: "I saw someone order these champagne bottles and I saw the waitresses take the bottles on their shoulders.

"Which led to get these fire devices on them near the roof, which was made of isolating foam. I saw the roof take fire and I went under the bar.

"I found some water in the mini fridge. At the moment I took the water, but the fire already spread on the whole roof. I threw some water, but it didn't help anything.

"I went back down, I took my girlfriend's arm and I screamed to everyone 'get out'.

"I took my girlfriend as hard as I could up the stairs. There were so many people in the stairs that I lost her arm.

"I fell on the ground. I could reach the top of the stairs and I fell on my stomach.

"My first reflex was to cover my face with my arms and I closed my eyes. At this moment I suppose someone opened the front door.

Le Constellation, Crans-Montana, Switerland (Image: X)

"This led to lots of air getting inside, which provided some air to the fire. And the fire turned into a fireball.

"I felt this fireball over my head, slightly burned my neck. At this moment the fire took all the breathable air and I couldn't breathe anymore.

"So in a last hope I took the foot of the table and grabbed myself out. At this moment I couldn't find anyone. I got out near the cinema. I couldn't find anyone."

Describing what he did next, Ferdinand, who is from Paris, said: "I went back inside.

"I found someone, I suppose, I hope he was just unconscious. But my prayers are that he's still alive. I grabbed him in the stairs and I took him out.

"Firemen, policemen, firemen took him. And I still couldn't find anyone. I went back inside but I couldn't breathe anymore.

"There was too much smoke and I couldn't breathe. So I went back out. I found a friend of mine who was really burned. He told me, where is your girlfriend?

"My girlfriend started rushing around. I found my girlfriend completely in shock. She was completely shocked. She told me my brother and his friends were near the bank over there.

"So I took both of them and joined my brother and his friends. They were all in shock, all very severely burned.""It was terrifying. It felt like a war scene. I saw people, burned people on the ground.

"I was looking for my brother and my girlfriend and my friends. And I couldn't think to let them stay in the fire when I was alive outside. So I couldn't see them.

Ferdinand Du Beaudiez who was in the Constellation Bar in Crans-Montana (Image: Tim Merry/Staff Photographer)

Describing going back inside the burning bar, he said: "One time I found someone laying in the stairs. This person was completely burned. Clothes were burned. I couldn't recognise if it was a woman or a man.

"I could only see teeth. I grabbed this person who was really heavy. It's heavy, someone who doesn't give back any tension. You know, when I grab your arm, you have tension.

"Nothing was happening. So I took their arms out and I slid him on the ground. And he was being taken care of outside by a policeman and firemen.

"This was the first time. The second time I went back in, what I felt is that there was more smoke. So I could breathe less."

Ferdinand said he is now praying for his brother, who remains in hospital in a coma.

Speaking about his other pals, he added: "The other ones are now conscious. They are awake. They are being taken care of. They are in pain. But no one is in life danger. They will all get out and I'm praying for my brother."

Speaking about what he witnessed outside the bar on the street, Ferdinand said: "Policemen and firemen told us to go in the 1900 coffee on the other side of the street.

"The firemen started to sort out the less burned and the highest burned people. I saw my brother only once. He was taken care of by the person working inside the bar. She told me to get the firemen.

"By the time the firemen and I came back, he had already been taken. At this moment I spoke with firemen to know where my brother was going. What I could do because I was less injured. At this moment we waited. Anti-fire foil blankets were given to everyone.

"One friend of mine was very calm, so I let him sit. My girlfriend was completely panicked. The younger ones, the friends of my brother, they were four and we were three over 18. They were under 18.

Le Constellation, Crans Montana, Switzerland Moment Swiss NYE nightclub fire that killed up to 40 p (Image: -)

"I was looking around for them. At this moment I was running around in the streets trying to find anyone that could take care of them.

"At one point my girlfriend called me and said they are taking us away in a fireman car. I asked the fireman who was driving if I could go with them in the car.

"So I stood in the ambulance and we were taken to the sports center near Arnouva, which is a lake down here, five minutes from here.

"In there only firemen and ambulanciers were there. So they couldn't give anyone any painkillers. So only fire covers were given.

"Only some gel masks to calm the burnings were given to everyone. With my friend Mayol, who is one of my brother's friends, who is 17, we were less injured.

"So we helped every fireman and the police to give water to everyone, sugar, so they could stay conscious. Then the medics arrived.

"They built some kind of hospital in the sports center on the tennis courts. So with the time more and more people arrived, more and more burned.

"At this point firemen and medics were given categories. I was in the green category. "Over was yellow and then was red. And I suppose black, but black had already been taken to the hospitals.

"So in this place medics, I helped, and Mayol and I helped the firemen to carry people around on these beds that were built at this time."