Following the tragic fire that killed at least 40 people and injured dozens of young partygoers in a New Year’s Eve bar fire in Switzerland were sent to specialized burn units across Europe on Friday with significant injuries.
According to preliminary investigations, sparkler candles being held too close to the ceiling was probably the origin of the fire that broke out among the primarily youthful group of partygoers at Le Constellation pub in the Swiss ski town of Crans-Montana.
Local prosecutor Beatrice Pilloud said, preliminary investigations indicate that the fire that destroyed the pub at the Swiss ski resort began when “fountain candles” were carried too close to the ceiling.
The investigation was also checking whether the ceiling’s insulation foam was to blame for the rapid spread of the fire, Pilloud added.
Investigators warned that this process was extremely delicate and would take time as they concentrated on the difficult challenge of identifying the burnt bodies.
The burns were so bad that Swiss officials said, it might take days to identify every person who perished in the fire.
There have been 40 confirmed deaths and 119 injuries, several of which are extremely serious.
“Many of those injured are still fighting for their lives today,” Mathias Reynard, the Valais area head, stated at a press conference.
According to him, about fifty of the injured have been or will be moved to burn units in hospitals across Europe. Some of the injured are being treated in France and Germany.
Police head Frederic Gisler said in the same press conference that 113 people had been identified as injured. The number included 71 Swiss, 14 French, 11 Italians, 4 Serbians, one Bosnian, one Belgian, one Polish, one Portuguese and one Luxembourgish.