Crans Montana ski resort fire

[allezfred]

Seems at least 40 dead and 115 injured…

What we know about the Switzerland ski resort fire - BBC News

Several dozen people are presumed to have died in the fire at a New Year party in the resort of Crans-Montana.

www.bbc.com

 

[Finnice]

Horrible. Such a sad way to end the year.

 

[Buzz]

Just awful! Thoughts and prayers to all the victims.

 

[genevieve]

Seems like this event was mostly attended by teenagers. How tragic

 

[Miezekatze]

Such a terrible chain of bad decisions that could lead to this tragedy.

What images and videos tell us about why Swiss bar fire spread so quickly

How the blaze took hold with such ferocity, killing at least 40 people and leaving many more critically injured, is now a key focus for officials.

www.bbc.co.uk

They said on the radio news today that Switzerland asked Germany to take 40 patients (other European countries will also take people). They say treatment of survivors will take weeks or even months of care.

 

[Cachoo]

I see this and want to scream "RUN!" They had no idea.

TikTok - Make Your Day

 

[ballettmaus]

They said on the radio news today that Switzerland asked Germany to take 40 patients (other European countries will also take people). They say treatment of survivors will take weeks or even months of care.

I read that a number are still in critical condition and in an induced coma. As far as I know, that isn't good when it comes to burns.
Such a heartbreaking tragedy.

 

[Winnipeg]

Burns can take months if not longer to treat..........this is so sad. I 'heard' that some are still to be identified which does not sound good.

When I think of all those young people, makes me want to cry. I have heard that burn injuries are extremely painful.

I would have thought building codes in Switzerland would have mandated acceptable egress in the event of a fire. Maybe they do but the bar did not follow the rules or was grandfathered due to its age?

 

[Miezekatze]

accidental double post.

 

[Miezekatze]

I would have thought building codes in Switzerland would have mandated acceptable egress in the event of a fire. Maybe they do but the bar did not follow the rules or was grandfathered due to its age?

I read there was a second exit to the building, but it's not clear yet if it was open. It seems the downstairs cellar bar only was accessible via one staircase. No idea how strict the rules in Switzerland are.

The owner of the bar renovated it by himself in 2015 before it was opened, working on the staircase and putting up the questionable foam isolation on the ceiling, so that stuff wasn't old.
I was surprised that he admitted to that so early after the event (since I guess lawyers would strongly advise against that ), but as far as I saw in articles there are photos existing of him renovating and putting up the isolation, cause everything was documented on social media, so probably he knew there would be no point in trying to hide this.

But I think this certainly could have been avoided by a lot of people somewhere over the last years or by authorities who were checking on the bar.
There was an advertising video on Youtube from the bar from 2024 that showed that these bartenders with helmets carrying champagne bottles with firework over their heads was a regularly featured happening there, so apparently nobody ever got the idea that this might not be the best idea in a downstairs cellar bar, probably people think this sort of firework aren't dangerous. Add a lot of drunk very young people

I also wonder whether under 18 year olds are allowed to go to such a bar, but unfortunately skiing and ski tourism in Austria and Switzerland is so associated with party and drinking, I assume there's a lot of lackluster monitoring, because everybody wants to make money...

 

[Aceon6]

The owner of the bar renovated it by himself in 2015 before it was opened, working on the staircase and putting up the questionable foam isolation on the ceiling

This, unfortunately, is a near carbon copy of The Station nightclub fire in Rhode Island USA in 2003. 100 dead in that one with as many maimed for life. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Station_nightclub_fire

 

[genevieve]

Burns can take months if not longer to treat..........this is so sad. I 'heard' that some are still to be identified which does not sound good.

When I think of all those young people, makes me want to cry. I have heard that burn injuries are extremely painful.

I would have thought building codes in Switzerland would have mandated acceptable egress in the event of a fire. Maybe they do but the bar did not follow the rules or was grandfathered due to its age?

One of the articles I read stated that even when there are other exits, people tend to try to reach the door they entered from. Reading up about the Station fire, that seemed to be true, although there were also staff telling People they couldn’t use the band-only or employee exits

 

[Winnipeg]

I note the reference above to a similar fire in Rhode Island.

Often, people will say hind sight is 20/20 after events like this

BUT there are many times when hind sight is no excuse. When there is adequate information, history, examples that could easily predict a similar adverse outcome, then it is poor management, planning and often NEGLIGENCE that are to blame.

 

[Karen-W]

I feel absolutely horribly for all the people who died and were injured in this fire, but there were a lot of people who stupidly stood a round with their phones raised in the air filming the fire as it started & quickly engulfed the ceiling. Please, teach your kids & grandkids that they need to run from & get out of the way of a fire rather than stupidly film it for social media engagement.

 

[Winnipeg]

Whenever you attend an event, PLEASE look for the emergency exits, where they are located and which ones are closest to you. Have a plan and at any indication of an emergency, make your way to the nearest emergency exit

At the beginning of a concert, meeting, conference etc, the emcee should tell the audience where all the emergency exits are located but if they don't, make it your habit. I always do. Fortunately, I have never experienced a fire like this but I still always assume one could occur when entering a venue.

I recall an example at a skating event where there was always a bottleneck of people heading toward the door they used when entering the arena. It was always a bottleneck during breaks etc. I located an alternate exit in the opposite direction, checked it out and decided that if there was an emergency I would go that way and not with the crowds to the bottle neck entry/exit. Fortunately, nothing happened but if it did I was ready.

 

[millyskate]

I'm finding this so distressing. All the victims were so young. Their poor families - including the one who lost two sisters. Unimaginable.

 

[Wesonn]

terrible and sad news

 

[Ananas Astra]

The owners have been arrested and, as it turns out, the emergency exit was locked.
And apparently, the age checks were really weak. No 14-year-old would be allowed to stay in a bar after 10 pm.

The owners of that bar have A LOT to answer for.

 

[ballettmaus]

The owners of that bar have A LOT to answer for.

So do the authorities who haven't inspected the bar in five years and who didn't have any complaints about the foam or narrower stairs and who likely knew about the fireworks if it was common practice and happened in other bars as well.

It's been my experience that neglecting age-checks isn't that uncommon in Germany. I would be surprised if ski towns and establishments which are frequented by people with money especially, are all that different.

I think the owners have to answer for the locked door. As far as the rest is concerned, they have to answer for that, too, however, I think the authorities share responsibility and need to be held accountable as well. Putting the responsibility solely on the owners and not doing anything about the authorities is fighting the sympton without fighting the illness.

 

[Ananas Astra]

So do the authorities who haven't inspected the bar in five years and who didn't have any complaints about the foam or narrower stairs and who likely knew about the fireworks if it was common practice and happened in other bars as well.

It's been my experience that neglecting age-checks isn't that uncommon in Germany. I would be surprised if ski towns and establishments which are frequented by people with money especially, are all that different.

I think the owners have to answer for the locked door. As far as the rest is concerned, they have to answer for that, too, however, I think the authorities share responsibility and need to be held accountable as well. Putting the responsibility solely on the owners and not doing anything about the authorities is fighting the sympton without fighting the illness.

The whole thing could have been avoided had the responsibles behaved responsibly.

 

[Winnipeg]

I think a test of due diligence is whether those in question did everything that a reasonable person would have done or should have done? IN this case, the owners did not from what I have heard. A detailed investigation will determine that and also hopefully will determine whether the rules and enforcement of rules needs to be strengthened and how.