Miracle of the inferno: Witness reveals youth trapped in Swiss blaze sat down with crucifix in his hand ‘and the fire just avoided him… he survived’

A teenager trapped in a burning ski bar in Switzerland survived what one witness described as a miracle after sitting with a cross in his hand as flames spread throughout the deadly blaze.

The fire broke out at around 1.30am local time (12.30am GMT) in the basement of ‘Le Constellation’, a popular venue in the center of the Alpine town of Crans-Montana.

Witness Laetitia Place said the man was unable to escape as the fire intensified and the exits became inaccessible.

With no way out, he sat inside the building and held the cross while the nearby fire continued to burn.

The flames surrounded everywhere, but did not reach the point where he was sitting.

‘Thank goodness he survived,’ said Mrs Place. ‘He managed to get out and broke the window to escape.’

But others were not so lucky; It is thought that at least 47 people died and 115 more people were injured in the fire.

“I want to thank God for saving me and I ask him to save my lost friends because it’s terrible because I miss them,” Ms. Place added.

‘I don’t want to lose any more people because I’ve already lost people and we’re still looking and I don’t want to (lose people).

The fire broke out at around 1.30am local time (12.30am GMT) in the basement of ‘Le Constellation’, a popular venue in the center of the Alpine town of Crans-Montana. New images show deadly flash in which extreme heat caused everything indoors to ignite almost simultaneously

Dramatic footage shows huge flames quickly spreading across the ceiling of the narrow bar as heavy music blares from speakers.

‘Because I was so afraid; I was afraid for myself, I was afraid for my friends, I was afraid for everyone inside. ‘I have friends in the hospital, I have friends everywhere.’

Dozens of people died in the fire, which also engulfed the closed basement within a few minutes, as panicked club goers tried to reach the only exit.

Emergency services later responded to the scene as the extent of the tragedy became clear; Investigators are examining how the fire spread so quickly and why so many people were unable to escape.

Officers investigating the cause of the disaster are said to be focusing on whether the basement, which reportedly featured a relatively narrow staircase, was truly a ‘disaster waiting to happen’.

While the fire spread rapidly in the closed area filled with New Year’s Eve revelers, it is believed that most of those who died overcame the pressure to reach the only exit.

Investigators will also examine whether wooden furniture in the basement, wood paneling on some walls and foam-style insulation in the ceiling contributed to the fire’s spread.

‘Thank goodness he survived,’ said Mrs Place. ‘He managed to get out, broke the window to escape’

Panicked partygoers are seen running to escape the venue, while others remain underground and film the fire, apparently unaware of the danger yet.

Eyewitnesses said the fire was started by a waiter holding a sparkler in a bottle, causing the material on the ceiling to ignite before the flames spread rapidly as panicked revelers tried to escape.

Officials said the fire resulted in a ‘flash’, which caused one or more explosions, potentially causing instant ignition of all flammable surfaces in the room.

Survivors have since described harrowing scenes at the club where people were burned and suffocated by smoke.

Gianni, one of the witnesses, told Switzerland-based channel 20 Minuten that the victims suffered serious burns, their faces were “completely disfigured” and their hair was burned. He said many of them were blackened by the flames, their clothes sticking to their skin.

Images taken from inside the venue show foam-style sound insulation fixed to the ceiling, as well as extensive wooden decor on the bar and stairs.

The nightclub had previously received a safety score of just 6.5 out of 10 on a public review platform; This detail is now drawing attention as investigators examine how the fire spread so quickly.

Rescuers and firefighters work at the site of an explosion that ripped apart a bar in Crans-Montana on January 1, 2026

People stand guard in the church after a fire and explosion broke out in the bar ‘Le Constellation’ during a New Year’s party

A pair of people embrace near the bar on January 1, 2026

The Wheree listing on the review website did not indicate any areas of concern at the club.

Wheree collects ratings from people who visit venues on a variety of topics such as safety, location and prices.

According to French broadcaster BFMTV, citing a source close to the investigation, the bar belongs to a French couple, aged 49 and 40, who have been living in the valley for almost a decade.

The female owner of the bar was inside the bar when the fire broke out and suffered burns on her arm, while her partner was in one of the other workplaces at the time. Both were described as ‘completely in shock’.

The venue hosted more than 100 people at the time and had seating permits for up to 300 people, including 40 more on its terrace.

Italy’s foreign minister said 16 Italians were reported missing after a fire ripped through the bar, while about a dozen Italian citizens were treated in hospital with serious burn injuries.

Valais Canton police commander Frédéric Gisler stated at a press conference that efforts were continuing to identify the victims and inform their families, adding that the society was ‘devastated’.

Today, the first victim of the deadly New Year’s Eve fire was named as a 17-year-old Italian golf prodigy.

Emmanuele Galeppini’s death was confirmed in the Italian Golf Federation’s Instagram post, where the teenager was remembered as “a young athlete who embodied passion and original values.”

“At this time of great pain, our thoughts are with his family and everyone who loved him,” the statement said at the memorial service.

The first victim of the deadly New Year’s Eve fire was named 17-year-old Italian golfer Emmanuele Galeppini (pictured)

The young golf prodigy was photographed with golfer Rory McIlroy last year.

Galeppini was partying at the bar ‘Le Constellation’ in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, when the deadly inferno broke out.

The young man from Genoa was among the 13 missing Italians on the list announced yesterday by the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

While his family was making a call to find him, his father was looking for him at the scene after news of the fire.

According to reports, Galeppini’s relatives suspected he was at the bar because they had not heard from him since midnight, when his father spoke to him on the phone to wish him a happy birthday.

The Italian teenager, who lives in Dubai, was a member of the Italian national team with a best finish of 2440th and was well known in the UAE junior and amateur golf scene, according to GolfDigestme.com.

He was photographed with golf legend Rory McIlroy last year and is considered a promising young talent who competes regularly in the Middle East and Europe.

One of his most recent victories came last April at the 2025 Omega Dubai Creek Amateur Open.

As tributes poured in for Galeppini, desperate families were showing off cellphone photos of their young relatives in the Crans-Montana resort and trying to discover their fate in the basement bar fire.

A French mother in her 40s named Laetitia said she had been looking for her 16-year-old son Arthur all night.

“I’ve been looking for him for over 30 hours,” he told BFMTV after going around every hospital he could find in vain search for news.

“I don’t know which hospital he is in. I don’t know which morgue he is in. I don’t know which country he is in. I don’t know which canton he is in,” he added, determined to find Arthur.

He said: ‘We are not irresponsible parents for letting our 16-year-olds go out on New Year’s Eve. All parents knew where their children were. ‘They were celebrating with their friends.’

Distraught French grandfather Pierre Pralong turned to television for information about his missing granddaughter Émilie (22).

Émilie, who went to Crans-Montana with her two friends that evening, has not been heard from since then.

Her grandfather made an appeal on BFMTV on Thursday evening, January 1, for ‘any witnesses who may have seen Émilie in La Constellation bar’.

‘Give us information. “Call me, call grandfather,” he said.