Teen escaped Swiss ski resort fire by smashing window - but friends were not so lucky

A 16-year-old student has described the "total chaos" of a New Year’s Day fire that tore through a popular Swiss ski resort bar, killing at least 40 people and leaving dozens more missing. French national Axel Clavier, who travelled to Crans-Montana from Paris for the holidays, escaped the inferno at Le Constellation bar by smashing through a plexiglass window with a table.

While he survived, the teenager confirmed that one of his friends perished in the blaze, and several others remain unaccounted for. The tragedy unfolded at approximately 1.30 am on Thursday. Witness accounts suggest the fire began during a high-energy celebration.

Mr Clavier said that he saw waitresses entering the crowded room with champagne bottles fitted with burning sparklers just moments before the ceiling caught fire.

Other witnesses reported seeing a bartender hoist a colleague into the air while holding a lit bottle. Seconds later, the decorative wooden ceiling—a staple of Alpine "apres-ski" decor—was engulfed in flames.

Standing in the snow without his shoes, phone, or bank card, Mr Clavier continued: "I am still alive and it’s just stuff. I’m still in shock... I saw the flames and just knew we had to get out immediately."

The fire quickly turned into one of Switzerland’s deadliest modern tragedies. Survivors described a terrifying scene in the basement venue as hundreds of young revellers, mostly in their teens and 20s, surged toward narrow exits.

As smoke filled the room, a "human crush" formed at the base of the stairs. Many were forced to follow Mr Clavier’s lead, using furniture to break through windows despite sustaining severe cuts and injuries.

At this stage, there are 40 confirmed dead—many of whom were French and Italian nationals—and 115 injured, with dozens remaining in critical condition. Rescue teams continue to comb through the charred remains of the basement, and the death toll is expected to rise.

Valais Canton police commander Frederic Gisler stated the community is "devastated" and that victim identification is a "slow and painful process." While Attorney General Beatrice Pilloud has ruled out terrorism, the focus has shifted toward potential negligence.

Investigators are currently probing whether the basement bar was dangerously overcrowded, why pyrotechnics were permitted under a low wooden ceiling, and whether emergency exits were clear and properly marked.

Swiss President Guy Parmelin praised the first responders who arrived to find "scenes of indescribable violence and distress." He called for national unity, promising that Switzerland would meet the tragedy with "courage and mutual help."

As of Friday morning, the luxury resort—usually a place of celebration—has been transformed into a site of mourning. Hundreds of people gathered at a local church to pray for the missing, while a sea of candles and flowers grows near the blackened shell of Le Constellation.