Dozens of people are feared to have been killed and around 100 others injured after an explosion tore through a crowded bar during a New Year's Eve party in the upscale ski resort of Crans-Montana in southwestern Switzerland, Swiss police said on Thursday.
Crans-Montana is a luxury ski resort town located in the heart of the Swiss Alps, approximately two hours from the Swiss capital of Bern.
The blast occurred at 1:30 a.m. (00:30 GMT) in a bar called the Constellation, police said in a statement to the BBC.
Police had earlier said many people were being treated for burns.
"But the majority of casualties are believed to be tourists, who came to Crans-Montana for the holiday season. More than a hundred people were in the bar at the time of the explosion," the police spokesperson said.
“We're just at the beginning of our investigation, but this is an internationally renowned ski resort with lots of tourists," he added.
Footage on social media, apparently taken from the road outside the bar, shows a fire inside a building. We are working to verify these images.
Swiss news outlet Blick suggests the fire may have been caused by fireworks during a concert - but police say the cause is unknown.
The area has been completely closed off, and a no-fly zone has been imposed over Crans-Montana, police said in a statement.
The injured were so numerous that the intensive care unit and operating theatre at the regional hospital quickly hit full capacity, according to regional councillor Mathias Renard.
Helicopters and ambulances rushed to the scene to assist victims, including some from different countries, officials said.
“We are devastated,” Frederic Gisler, commander of the Valais Cantonal police, said during a news conference.
The injured were so numerous that the intensive care unit and operating theatre at the regional hospital quickly hit full capacity, according to regional councillor Mathias Renard.
The municipality had banned New Year's Eve fireworks due to a lack of rainfall in the past month, according to its website.
In a region busy with tourists skiing on the slopes, the authorities have called on the local population to show caution in the coming days to avoid any accidents that could require medical resources that are already overwhelmed.
Reuters could not immediately verify the report.