Guy Parmelin

Force in Play

First day in office overshadowed by disaster

A fire ripped through Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana at 1:30am on New Year's Day as over 100 revelers celebrated, killing at least 40 people and hospitalizing 116 with severe burns. Multiple witnesses told French media BFMTV that waitresses carried champagne bottles with sparklers on a barman's shoulders; the flames came within centimeters of the acoustic foam ceiling and engulfed the nightclub within 10 seconds.

Updated May 19