An explosion and fire that broke out in a bar in the Crans-Montana ski resort in southwestern Switzerland killed about 40 people and injured more than 100, according to the Italian Foreign Ministry, citing police.
Swiss police themselves announced “several dozen dead” at a morning press conference.
Swiss authorities say the identification of the burnt bodies. The dead could be “many”, police officials said at the press conference.
Italy’s foreign ministry adds that the identities of the victims cannot be immediately identified because of the severity of their burns, Reuters reports.
Most of the victims have “significant” injuries and severe burns.
The cause of the fire is unknown, although police initially said it was an explosion. Local es
According to BBC correspondent Sylvia Costelo from the scene, the bar where the fire occurred has been around for at least 40 years.
It is a large bar for young people, but not a high-end bar, although it is located in an expensive ski resort that hosted the Ski World Cup in the 1980s.
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Crans-Montana is an elite ski resort in the Swiss canton of Valais. 130 kilometres of pistes.
At the end of January, the resort will host prestigious alpine skiing competitions.