Swiss authorities reported a major tragedy on Thursday morning during New Year celebrations, after an explosion at a bar in the resort town of Crans-Montana, a popular ski destination in the Swiss Alps, killed dozens of people.

At this stage, there is no final confirmed death toll, but police estimates indicate that dozens lost their lives.

Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, citing information received from Swiss police, stated that the number of fatalities stands at approximately forty.

According to Swiss authorities, around one hundred additional people were injured in the incident, most of them in serious condition.

Some of the victims are foreign tourists.

Swiss police emphasized that there is no suspicion of a deliberate attack, but rather a fire following an explosion.

Italy’s Foreign Ministry likewise stressed that there is no indication the fire was caused by intentional arson.

Italian officials noted that identifying the victims has been difficult due to the severe burns many of them sustained.

According to reports, the explosion occurred in the basement of a venue known as Le Constellation Bar at around one thirty in the morning local time.

Footage circulated from the scene shows a large fire raging afterward, with crowds gathered nearby.

Authorities said the incident took place during New Year celebrations, but that the cause of the explosion remains unclear.

The local news outlet Blick reported that the explosion may have been caused by the use of some form of pyrotechnic device during a performance at the venue, though it emphasized that this claim has not been confirmed by authorities.

A similar report was later broadcast by the local radio station Rhone FM, suggesting that the explosion may have occurred during the handling of pyrotechnics.

Emergency services later covered the bar with protective sheeting.

A spokesperson for the local police said that more than one hundred people were inside the bar at the time of the explosion.

“We are seeing many injured and many dead,” said spokesperson Gaëtan Thevenin.

“We are only at the beginning of our investigation, but this is an internationally popular ski resort with many tourists”.

He added that authorities had set up a dedicated emergency hotline to allow families to obtain information about their loved ones.

Police said the area around the scene was completely sealed off, and the airspace above the town was also closed.

Numerous emergency forces were deployed, and in one report a local resident said that for several hours helicopters could be seen landing every ten minutes.

Swiss public broadcaster RTS quoted a doctor from the local ambulance service as saying that hospitals in the area were “overwhelmed” with burn victims.

Reflecting the extreme strain on medical services, authorities urged residents to exercise extra caution in the coming hours to avoid additional injuries requiring treatment.

The bar where the disaster occurred was reportedly capable of holding up to three hundred patrons at one time.

However, Blick quoted a former employee who said that the number of people present may not always have been strictly monitored.

According to the report, the explosion occurred in the basement, from where the fire spread to the ground floor.

The former employee noted that there was only one access route to and from the basement, a layout that had already raised his concerns two years earlier about a potential emergency scenario.

“I thought, if panic breaks out, how would I get back to daylight?” he said.

Crans-Montana, a town of around ten thousand residents, is located in the Swiss Alps, with its highest point reaching approximately three thousand meters above sea level.

The town, which was formed through the merger of several separate communities under a single local authority in twenty seventeen, lies about two hours from the capital, Bern, and covers an area of roughly three point seven square kilometers, stretching from the Rhône Valley to the Plaine Morte Glacier.

It is widely known as a major ski resort and hosts international competitions each year.

At the end of the month, it is scheduled to host the Speed Skiing World Cup.