On New Year’s Eve, a tragic fire occurred in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. Crans-Montana is a municipality with a luxurious ski resort located in Sierre Valais, Switzerland. Since it is a popular resort, many vacationers booked their getaways far in advance and looked forward to an exciting New Year’s Eve.
Unfortunately, when waiters were making their rounds around the bar while holding bottles of champagne with fireworks attached, these fireworks caught flame on the low ceilings and rapidly started spreading. Immediately, guests began to feel a wave of heat that took over their bodies. Many tried to evacuate; however, because of the high number of people crowding the bar, some were unable to escape.
The environment was described as cramped. Local residents had to force escape doors open so that they could free the people trapped in the bar. Most of these people were severely burned and unfortunately, many could not make it out.
Le Constellation was a popular sight for teenagers to enjoy their nights with friends. However, news reports have shown that a lot of the deaths were young adults. Friends of these teenagers are deeply mourning the loss and are dwelling on all of the factors that led to such a tragic night. After asking Abigail LeBretton, a sophomore at Hingham High School, how she would feel if one of her loved ones was a victim of this tragedy, she stated that she would feel “devastated and scared for her own future because the world is so uncertain.”
Fortunately, many families and groups of friends report that they were trying to get into the bar but were struggling since it was so cramped that they ended up just celebrating outside. That choice saved their lives.
Today, residents of Crans-Montana gather and mourn the losses of these victims. This past Sunday, January 4th, there was a silent march to honor those who died. After a service at the Chapelle Saint-Christophe in Crans-Montana, residents united and gathered to march up a hill to Le Constellation Bar. At the end of the silent march, people contributed to a flower pile to honor the lost lives of their loved ones. Reflections of this tragedy are not solely present in Crans-Montana. This fire has been impactful for many. Clara Nugent, a sophomore at Hingham High School, believes that the tragedy teaches people around the world about “how so much can happen and change in such a short amount of time making it so important to not take anything or anyone for granted.”
Many of the honorees similarly believe that this tragedy is a reminder for humanity to always share love with their loved ones since you never know what could happen to them.
