In a firsthand account of the deadly New Year’s Eve fire in Crans-Montana, an 18-year-old witness described breaking a window and rushing into a burning bar to save his younger brother.
The man, who asked not to be named, said he was nearby when he heard a large explosion. As smoke billowed from Le Constellation bar, he feared his brother was inside.
“I thought my little brother was inside,” he said, “so I came and tried to break the window to help people exit, and after that I went in.”
Inside, he encountered a scene of pure horror. “I saw people burning… I found people burning from head to foot, no clothes anymore,” he recounted. “It was very shocking.”
He eventually found his brother safe. “I went in this bar every day this week,” he said. “The day I didn’t go, it burned.”
The fire broke out around 1:30 a.m. local time. Police report that about 40 people died and 115 others were injured, many with severe burns.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the blaze, which abruptly ended an evening of celebration at the popular Swiss ski resort.
By James Kisoo
