Image source, reu

We're beginning to get more pieces of information following the fire at Le Constellation bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana on New Year's Eve:

What we know:

• Around 40 people died in the blaze and 115 others were injured, with patients as young as 15 in hospital
• Many of the dead and injured are teenagers - Le Constellation bar was popular with a young crowd
• The fire is thought to have started around 01:30 local time on 1 January
• Witnesses say the flames spread rapidly - this photo shows the moment the ceiling caught fire and this video shows someone trying to put out flames
• Witnesses have said the fire could have been caused by waitresses carrying champagne bottles with "flares" or "candles" on top

What we don't know:

• The cause - officials have refused to comment on speculation that candles or flares may have started the fire
• The victims' identities - but French and Italian authorities say they have citizens missing, including 16-year-old Giovanni from Bologna
• Whether safety standards at the bar are in question after reports of a narrow staircase. The investigation will determine whether or not safety standards were respected, Attorney General Beatrice Pilloud has said

Nick Johnson
Reporting from Crans-Montana

Twenty-two-year-old Lea Zehnder was celebrating New Year's at a bar within eye-shot of Le Constellation.

She says it’s only by chance she and her boyfriend went to another venue, as they always go to Le Constellation.

She wasn’t surprised by reports of sparklers igniting the roof. She says sparklers on top of champagne bottles are something the bar does every new year.

“It could have been us," she says, adding: “The roof is made from mousse-like stuff which could have caught fire at any time."

She describes the screaming coming from Le Constellation and her boyfriend helping those with serious burns - “they couldn’t walk or talk”.

Image source, REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq

Italy's foreign minister Antonio Tajani has arrived at the scene and laid flowers.

As we reported earlier, the number of Italians involved in the incident currently stands at 19, according to the Italian foreign ministry.

It said that 13 had been taken to hospital and that six are missing.

Richard Irvine-Brown
BBC Verify journalist

Image source, Supplied

BBC Verify has verified two photos showing lit sparklers attached to bottles inside Le Constellation nightclub in the ski resort of Crans-Montana, Switzerland, shared online with claims they were taken around the start of the fire on New Year's Eve.

One image shows people holding several bottles in the air with lit sparklers attached and what appears to be a fire on the ceiling.

We searched for previous versions of this image online and no copies existed before yesterday. There are several details in the photograph which match older photos of the interior of the nightclub, including the bar, the wall decor and the pipework.

We ran the photo through four AI-detection tools, none of which detected AI manipulation but one said the image had been edited.

Running it through a digital manipulation tool showed no evidence of manipulation.

Image source, Supplied

The second image we looked at shows someone in a sleeveless black dress and crash helmet holding a bottle with a lit sparkler attached, on the shoulders of someone wearing a mask.

We searched for previous versions online and no copies existed before yesterday.

Parts of a neon sign for Le Constel can be seen in the background, consistent with older photos from the club.

The image has been run through three AI detection tools, none of which detected AI manipulation but one said the photo was edited. Running it through a digital manipulation tool showed no evidence of manipulation.

Sarah Rainsford
Reporting from Crans-Montana

One of the most striking details of this tragedy is how young the victims are.

Many of the dead and injured are teenagers. Le Constellation was popular with a young crowd, both tourists and those working the ski season here, and locals.

The drinking age here is 16, it was New Year’s Eve - and they were partying.

Now, more than a day later, distressed parents are still searching for their children. And young people who survived are describing horrific scenes they saw and can never forget.

Six Italians are still missing, all teenagers.

The mother of Giovanni Tamburi, from Genova, has made a public appeal on social media for help to trace him.

The last she heard was a New Year’s message around midnight, since then he hasn’t answered his phone. He was with friends, who escaped the fire.

But Giovanni’s mother has called around all the hospitals and there’s still no sign of him.

Ilan Achour, 26, works in a restaurant close to Le Constellation and drove to the scene when he heard about the fire.

"Everyone was burned, everyone was screaming, everyone was shouting," he told Reuters at a vigil held in Crans-Montana.

"It was a horror movie. I've never seen anything like it in my life. And then I lost my best friend, who was in my arms. We tried to revive her."

"I wouldn't wish that on anyone," he added. "That's why I tell everyone, now is the time for us to be together, for everyone to love each other, it's important.”

You can hear his comments and see scenes from a vigil in the video below.

Swiss official Stéphane Ganzer has been speaking to French broadcaster RTL.

Earlier, reports quoting the Italian foreign ministry suggested that as many as 47 people were killed in the fire.

Asked about this, Ganzer says he was "surprised" to hear the figure, saying it did not match up with what Swiss authorities were aware of, citing instead that around 40 people are known to have been killed.

On injuries, Ganzer says between "80 and 100 people" are seriously injured and in need of urgent attention.

The situation is evolving, Ganzer adds. He goes on to explain that people who have third-degree burns covering 15% of their bodies are at an increased risk of septicaemia and a subsequent heightened risk of death in the coming hours and days.

Image source, Photo by KIMMO BRANDT/EPA/Shutterstock

Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk has shared his condolences with victims' families and loved ones.

"Switzerland and the canton of Valais can count on Polish solidarity," he writes in a post on X.

"We are ready, at Switzerland's request, to provide specialized medical care for the 14 injured in Polish hospitals."

Around 40 people died in the blaze on New Year's Eve and 115 others are injured.

Victims have not yet been identified but, as we've been reporting, several French and Italian citizens are among the missing.

Nick Johnson
Reporting from Crans-Montana

The police have loosened the cordon for the first time since the fire.

It means we’ve been able to get a bit closer to Le Constellation bar and see the scale of the police operation.

White tents surround the entrances and exits and I can see bright police lights on inside.

Daily life is trying to continue, however. Skiers clomp past with their boots and boards and cafes and shops are opening their doors. A bizarre paradox amid such heartbreak.

We can now bring you a video which appears to show the first moments of the fire.

The ceiling is alight - music can be heard playing in the background and some people are filming the fire on their phones.

One man tries to extinguish the flames with a cloth as others look on.

Sarah Rainsford
Reporting from Crans-Montana

Italian foreign minister Antonio Tajani will be in Crans-Montana today to visit the families of Italian citizens involved in the fire and to convey his government's solidarity.

The number of Italians involved in the Crans-Montana disaster currently stands at 19, the Italian foreign ministry:

• Thirteen were taken to hospital, three of whom have been transferred to a hospital in Milan
• Six are missing

The Italian ambassador to Switzerland, Gian Lorenzo Cornado, says the Swiss authorities are expected to provide an update on the situation after Tajani arrives.

Several media outlets have named teenage Italian golfer Emanuele Galeppini as the first identified victim of the fire following a statement from the Italian Golf Federation.

A spokesperson for the Italian foreign ministry tells the BBC it is not confirming this.

In a tribute, the Italian Golf Federation calls Emanuele a "young athlete who carried with him passion and authentic values". But the statement does not mention the fire in Switzerland.

Local Italian media had previously reported Emanuele's father had said his son was at the bar on the night of the fire, and that the family last had contact with him at midnight.

We do not yet know the identities or nationalities of the victims, with local officials warning the identification process could take days or even weeks.

But several French and Italian citizens are among the missing.

A spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office says: “Our thoughts are with all those injured and killed in the terrible tragedy in Crans-Montana, and we pay tribute to the Swiss emergency services who are leading the response.

"We will continue to monitor the situation, and our consular staff stand ready to support any British nationals who may be affected.”

More than 24 hours after a devastating fire broke out at a New Year's party in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana, here's what know, and don't know, so far:

What we know

• Around 40 people have died and 115 are injured, some of them severely - a Swiss doctor says patients are "very young", between 15 and 25 years old
• The fire is thought to have started around 01:30 local time on 1 January at a bar called Le Constellation
• Witnesses have suggested the flames spread rapidly and the fire could have been caused by waitresses carrying champagne bottles with "flares" or "candles" on top
• Eyewitnesses have also described scenes of chaos as people tried to escape, including by breaking windows
• Swiss President Guy Parmelin says the blaze is "one of the worst tragedies that our country has experienced"
• An investigation is ongoing - police, firefighters and forensics tents have been pictured at the scene this morning

What we don't know

• The cause - officials have refused to comment on speculation that candles or flares may have started the fire
• The identity of the victims - officials have warned the identification process could take days or even weeks. But several French and Italian citizens are among the missing
• We don't yet know whether safety standards are in question. In response to reports of a narrow staircase, Attorney General Beatrice Pilloud has said: "I don't know how narrow a staircase is or not; the investigation will determine whether or not safety standards were respected... It will also cover emergency exits"

Imogen Foulkes
Reporting from Geneva

Following the fire in Crans-Montana, the hospitals in the region remain under pressure.

Mathias Reynard, the president of Canton Valais, told Swiss radio this morning that many staff had come in on their day off to help out, and that discussions were under way to bring in additional burns specialists from France.

Meanwhile, the agonising wait for those missing continues.

A spokesman for Canton Valais Police says the process of identification could take several days.

The authorities are in constant contact with the families, he adds, and care teams were present to offer psychological support.

Bruno Huggler, the head of tourism for Crans-Montana, says “the shock is still very deep today” in the Alpine resort town.

He tells BBC Breakfast there are “two worlds” in the area as people mourn but holidays continue.

Officials are trying to find the best way to have a "respectful atmosphere" for friends and relatives of the victims, with professionals on hand for them, as well as allowing other guests to enjoy the activities the area has to offer, he adds.

Huggler explains that many different nationalities visit Crans-Montana, especially during the end-of-year period.

More than 60% of visitors come from Switzerland while people often come from France and Britain, he adds, as well as nations such as Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.

• We have previously heard that several French and Italian citizens are among the missing following the fire but we do not currently know the identities of all the victims

Nick Johnson
Reporting from Crans-Montana

I’ve just spoken to a woman who lives locally and came to the scene for the first time since New Year’s Eve.

She told me she’d just heard that both her friends who were at Le Constellation had died in hospital, after suffering the effects of breathing in smoke. They were both 20.

She spoke of her guilt that she’s fine, while her friends’ family are suffering such heartbreak.

It's now dawn in Crans-Montana. Firefighters and police remain at the scene, where the investigation is ongoing.

See the latest pictures below.

Image source, REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq

Image source, REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq

Image source, REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq

Image source, AFP

This post contains details some readers may find upsetting.

We've heard from a number of eyewitnesses and people who were in the bar at the time of the fire.

"People were running in all directions, screaming and crying," eyewitness Daniella, from Milan, said. "A young man came up to me and said he'd seen hell - things he would never forget."

One 18-year-old, who did not want to give his name, said he entered the bar during the fire to search for his little brother.

"I saw people burning... I found people burning from head to foot, no clothes anymore," he said.

Axel Clavier said he was trapped in the burning building and had to break a window to escape.

"We couldn’t see because of the smoke," he told AFP, "half of my clothes were gone, it was crazy."

He said before the fire started there were waitresses in the bar "with champagne bottles with flares too close to the ceiling", and that the "fire took hold suddenly".

Two French women who were inside the bar when the fire also said they believe it began when a waitress put "birthday candles" on top of some champagne bottles.

Emma and Albane, told French media outlet BFMTV “the entire ceiling was ablaze” within seconds as the flames “started to rise very quickly”.

For context: Authorities have not yet said what they believe caused the fire.

As we reported in our last post, a memorial of flowers, candles and messages remains at the scene this morning.

Last night mourners gathered for a vigil in tribute to the victims - you can see images of the gathering below.

Image source, ALESSANDRO DELLA VALLE/EPA/Shutterstock

Image source, ALESSANDRO DELLA VALLE/EPA/Shutterstock

Image source, Harold Cunningham/Getty Images

Image source, ALESSANDRO DELLA VALLE/EPA/Shutterstock