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Poland offers medical help after deadly fire in Swiss resort

02.01.2026 10:06
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Friday that Poland was ready to provide specialist medical treatment to victims of a deadly New Year’s Eve fire in the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana, expressing condolences to the families of those killed and stressing Polish solidarity with Switzerland and the canton of Valais.
Flowers are laid in the area where a fire broke out, leaving people dead and injured, during New Years celebration in Crans-Montana, Swiss Alps, Switzerland, 01 January 2026.
Flowers are laid in the area where a fire broke out, leaving people dead and injured, during New Year’s celebration in Crans-Montana, Swiss Alps, Switzerland, 01 January 2026.Photo: PAP/EPA/KANTONSPOLIZEI WALLIS VS HANDOUT

Writing on X, Tusk said that, at Switzerland’s request, Poland could admit 14 injured people to Polish hospitals for specialised care. He added that Poland stood ready to offer further assistance if needed.

Swiss police said the fire, which broke out overnight at the La Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, killed around 40 people and injured at least 115, many of them seriously. Authorities said the cause of the blaze was still under investigation but ruled out terrorism.

Investigators are examining whether indoor use of pyrotechnic sparklers may have played a role in triggering the blaze, after survivors described champagne bottles fitted with burning sparklers being raised inside the bar. Authorities have not confirmed the cause, but fire specialists said highly flammable interior materials and a low ceiling could have led to a rapid flashover, causing the fire to engulf the room within seconds and severely limiting escape routes.

Victims included foreign nationals, notably from Italy and France, and many of the dead and injured were teenagers or people in their twenties, police said. Several countries have offered assistance, with some of the injured already transferred to hospitals in neighbouring France and Italy.

(tf)

Source: IAR, PAP