“Complete Negligence”: New Photo Reveals Possible Cause Of Lethal Swiss Ski Bar Fire

A lethal fire broke out during a New Year’s Eve celebration at Le Constellation, a ski resort bar, in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, that claimed the lives of 40 individuals and injured hundreds. 

Initially, witnesses suspected that the fire was started because of “a birthday candle, which was very close to the ceiling,” one person revealed, adding that the ceiling was set ablaze a couple of minutes later.

However, a new photo from the resort bar has now revealed the exact cause of the fire, confirming initial speculations. 

A haunting new photo revealed how the Swiss ski resort bar caught fire on New Year’s Eve

Two women posing inside the Swiss ski bar with purple lighting, related to the cause of the lethal fire negligence investigation.

Image credits: marcelvandenber

On Friday (December 2), Beatrice Pilloud, Valais attorney general, revealed that the officials were pursuing several hypotheses to determine what caused the fire. After analyzing several videos and interviews, the authorities speculated that sparklers close to the ceiling may have caused the devastating fire.

Firefighters inspect the Swiss ski bar site covered after lethal fire, highlighting possible negligence cause in the accident.

Image credits: derspiegel

“We currently assume that the fire was caused by sparklers attached to champagne bottles that came too close to the ceiling,” she said.

Firefighters and officials near a white tent in a Swiss ski bar area investigating possible cause of lethal fire incident.

Image credits: derspiegel

A new photo reportedly verified by the BBC appears to confirm the hypothesis. In the photo, flames can be seen spreading over the ceiling of the bar’s basement floor.

The resulting sparks allegedly made contact with the soundproof foam covering the ceiling. 

Comment by Caleb Fraley expressing frustration about repeated mistakes made by venues related to negligence concerns.

Comment by Emilita Betancourt saying Complete negligence on a social media platform with three reactions.

Person wearing a helmet holding sparklers at a crowded party, linked to negligence in Swiss ski bar fire investigation.

Image credits: TonyTruant01

Meanwhile, people partying below were waving their champagne bottles topped with sparklers, including a woman in a crash helmet, who was close to the ceiling while another masked man carried her on his shoulders.

Comment mentioning flaming champagne possibly contributing to the lethal Swiss ski bar fire negligence discussion.

Comment suggesting a sparkler on shoulders may have started the foam ceiling tile fire in a Swiss ski bar incident.

Crowded Swiss ski bar with people holding champagne bottles and sparklers, possibly linked to negligence causing lethal fire.

Image credits: TonyTruant01

The fire reportedly triggered a “flashover,” which ignited everything combustible in the room.

However, some netizens criticized the people in the bar for recording the fire instead of escaping. “When the fire started, they all pulled out phones and started recording instead of running,” one social media user said, reacting to the images. 

Officials continued the investigation as identifying and treating the victims remained a challenge

Interior view of a Swiss ski bar with a ceiling fire spreading, showing possible negligence in the lethal fire incident.

Image credits: webnotitarde

Swiss authorities are yet to officially determine the cause, with Pilloud revealing that the investigation would next focus on examining the materials used in the bar, the operating permits, and safety measures.

Blazing fire at a packed Swiss ski bar with people inside capturing the deadly blaze on their phones.

Image credits: webnotitarde

Valais Canton Police commander Frédéric Gisler confirmed on Friday that 113 of the 119 injured people of multiple nationalities had been formally identified, including 71 Swiss citizens.

Officials were using the Disaster Victim Identification (DVI), a multi-agency collaboration, to identify an unknown victim. 

Comment by Dan Stephens criticizing people's reaction during the lethal Swiss ski bar fire, highlighting negligence causes.

Fire blazing inside a Swiss ski bar with blurred patrons nearby, suggesting possible negligence causing the lethal incident.

Image credits: ferozwala

“For the time being, we don’t have any suspects,” Pilloud shared with the media. She added that the investigation was primarily launched “to better understand the circumstances of this dramatic fire.”

On the night of the incident, 55 people with “severe injuries” were reportedly taken to the Valais Hospital. Twenty-eight were later transferred to other hospitals, with 22 people receiving treatment at a hospital in Lausanne.

Survivors revealed the harrowing aftermath of the ski resort bar fire

Silhouette of person near window with intense fire and smoke inside a building showing possible Swiss ski bar fire negligence.

Image credits: catsnmouse

Several survivors shared their accounts of the incident, with one person sharing that there was only one narrow way out of the room. As a result, some individuals were allegedly trapped and suffocated by the fumes.

“The staircase leading out of the nightclub was extremely narrow. There was a huge surge in the crowd. We managed to escape just in time,” a witness shared.

#Internacional | 😨🇨🇭 En #RRSS circula un material audiovisual escalofriante del incendio mortal que se suscitó en Crans-Montana, en Suiza el #1Ene. En el video se aprecia como el techo del bar Le Constellation comenzó a arder. Confirman que ascendió la cifra de fallecidos a 47. pic.twitter.com/s5XEdcPqWU

— Notitarde (@webnotitarde) January 2, 2026

Another individual said, “I saw people burning from head to foot, no clothes anymore. It was very shocking.”

Ferdinand Du Beaudiez, a 19-year-old student who was reportedly partying at Le Constellation, initially made it out of the fire unscathed. However, he went back into the fire to rescue his brother and girlfriend, only to find a “completely burned” victim.

“I couldn’t recognize whether it was a woman or a man. I could only see teeth,” the teenager said. Ferdinand rescued the victim, while his brother was eventually saved by authorities but remains in a coma.  

“People recording instead of escaping.” Netizens shared divisive reactions to the photos

Comment expressing prayers and urging wisdom and good judgment in light of the possible cause of lethal Swiss ski bar fire negligence

Comment by Joe Continanzi reading Indoor fireworks, great idea in a Facebook-style message bubble criticizing possible negligence in Swiss ski bar fire.

Comment by Thomas Potter criticizing people recording instead of escaping during lethal Swiss ski bar fire caused by negligence.

Comment on flammable egg carton foam used as sound insulation, highlighting possible negligence in Swiss ski bar fire.

Comment discussing fire risk in wooden homes compared to concrete, brick, or masonry, related to negligence and ski bar fire causes.

Comment by Debbie Wood expressing concern about the deadly Swiss ski bar fire linked to negligence and fire safety risks.

Comment discussing combustible ceiling materials linked to negligence in lethal Swiss ski bar fire safety concerns.

Comment expressing sadness about the lethal Swiss ski bar fire and possible negligence as the cause.

Comment bubble reading no wonder disaster happened, related to possible cause of lethal Swiss ski bar fire negligence.

Comment by user Ron Hade warning that fire and night clubs don’t mix in context of negligence and ski bar fire.

Comment reading Crowd plus alcohol plus fire questioning why they were mixed together, hinting at negligence in Swiss ski bar fire.

Comment criticizing owners, blaming them for negligence in lethal Swiss ski bar fire disaster on social media platform.

Comment by Ruddy Rincon saying that the incident is a lawsuit and a half, related to negligence in Swiss ski bar fire.

User comment expressing confusion and frustration over people recording instead of helping in a crowd during a possible negligence incident.

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