Terrifying Moment Captured: Revelers Wave Flaming Champagne Bottles as Swiss Nightclub Ceiling Erupts in Fire
Haunting Photo Captures the Exact Moment a Swiss Nightclub Celebration Turned Deadly
A newly surfaced photograph has captured the chilling moment when a New Year’s Eve celebration inside a Swiss nightclub spiraled into catastrophe, igniting a fire that left at least 40 people dead and more than 100 seriously injured.
The image, later verified by BBC, shows sparklers attached to champagne bottles being waved in the air as flames begin to creep across the nightclub’s low ceiling. Within seconds, the fire spread rapidly through Le Constellation, a crowded venue located in the Crans-Montana ski resort in the heart of Switzerland.
At the time the photo was taken, revelers appeared unaware of the danger above them. What began as a festive display quickly escalated into one of the deadliest nightclub fires the country has seen in years.
Eyewitness Images and Accounts Reveal Chaos Inside the Club
Another widely circulated image from inside the club shows a woman wearing a crash helmet, holding lit champagne bottles as she is carried on the shoulders of a masked man — a moment that now stands as a haunting symbol of how quickly the celebration unraveled.
Multiple witnesses who were inside the club that night told reporters they believe the sparklers triggered the blaze. However, Swiss authorities have emphasized that the official cause of the fire has not yet been formally determined.
One witness, identified only as Victoria, described the terrifying moments to French broadcaster BFMTV.
“It was firework candles inside a champagne bottle that caused the explosion. The entire ceiling of the bar caught fire,” she said.
“The fire spread extremely fast. Within seconds, it was impossible to breathe.”
“People Were Screaming”: Survivors Describe the Horror
Eyewitnesses have described scenes of panic as flames engulfed the venue, which had a capacity of up to 300 people.
A 20-year-old survivor told reporters he saw guests with their clothes burned and hanging off their bodies as people screamed for help. Another young man, just 18 years old, told the BBC he rushed into the burning bar to search for his younger brother.
“I saw people burning,” he said.
“Some were burned from head to foot. There were people with no clothes left at all.”
He later learned that his brother had escaped unharmed.
Firefighters Describe a Deadly “Flashover”
According to Swiss emergency officials, the initial fire quickly triggered a phenomenon known as a flashover — a situation in which all combustible materials in a room ignite almost simultaneously. This led to multiple explosions and made escape nearly impossible for many inside the club.
Authorities say the intensity of the fire and the confined space contributed to the high number of casualties.
Victim Identification Expected to Take Days
Officials are now working to identify the victims, many of whom are believed to be foreign tourists visiting the popular alpine resort for the holidays. Due to the severity of the burns, authorities have warned that the identification process could take several days.
Mathias Reynard, head of the Valais cantonal government, confirmed that forensic teams are relying on dental records and DNA samples to identify the deceased.
As the investigation continues, authorities are urging the public to avoid speculation and allow investigators to complete their work. For families awaiting answers, the tragedy has already left an indelible mark on what was meant to be a night of celebration.
