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World News

Service door in Swiss bar fire was locked from the inside, owner says

The charges against the bar owner, Jacques Moretti, could be complicated if the public prosecutor concludes that he is partly to blame for the door being locked. Moretti says he does not know why the fire exit door was locked.

Switzerland

Manager of Swiss bar that caught fire killing 40 held in custody

Investigators have said they believe sparkling candles atop champagne bottles started the fire at Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana when they came too close to the ceiling.

World News

Crans-Montana fire: victims' funerals held in Milan, Rome and Bologna

Italian schools observed a minute's silence in memory of the victims, while the schools attended by the teenagers who lost their lives suspended classes to "remember the young victims and express closeness to their families."

Switzerland

Swiss bar owners 'overwhelmed with grief' after 40 killed in fire

Those comments come on the same day it emerged that fire safety inspections hadn't been carried out at the bar since 2019.

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Switzerland

Swiss Alps bar missed inspections prior to fatal fire, authorities say

Local authorities in Crans-Montana admitted failing to conduct fire and safety inspections at Le Constellation bar, where a fire killed 40 and injured 116 during New Year celebrations.

Switzerland

Swiss authorities identify all 40 victims of Swiss Alps bar fire

The remaining 16 victims of a tragic New Year’s Eve blaze at a Swiss ski resort bar were identified on Sunday. A representative of Valais police confirmed that investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the fire, which killed 40 people and injured 119 others.

Europe News

Hundreds march in silence to honour Swiss Alps bar fire victims

Hundreds marched in Crans-Montana to honour the victims of the New Year's Eve fire that killed 40. A Mass was held with condolences from Pope Leo XIV.

No Comment

Firefighters pay tribute to victims of deadly Swiss ski resort fire

Firefighters who responded to the deadly bar fire in Crans-Montana were applauded as they visited a memorial to the victims.

Switzerland

First four victims identified in Swiss Alps bar fire that killed 40

Regional police said on Saturday that the bodies of four victims — two aged 16, an 18-year-old and a 21-year-old, all of them Swiss citizens — had been identified and handed over to their families.

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Swiss authorities identify victims of deadly New Year's fire

Switzerland is grappling with the aftermath of a deadly fire at Crans-Montana's Le Constellation bar that killed 40 and injured 115 during a New Year’s celebration.

Switzerland

Swiss Alps bar fire likely started by sparklers, authorities say

The blaze at Le Constellation, killing at least 40 people and injuring about 115 others, many seriously, was likely started by sparklers in champagne bottles, authorities said on Friday afternoon, as identification of those killed and injured continued.

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Fire destroys historic Vondelchurch in Amsterdam

A fire, likely triggered by fireworks, engulfed the Vondelchurch in Amsterdam shortly after midnight on New Year’s Day, leading to its collapse.

China

Hong Kong greets 2026 without fireworks after deadliest blaze in years

The pyrotechnic displays against Hong Kong’s world-famous skyline of skyscrapers typically draw hundreds of thousands of people including many tourists to both sides of the promenade.

Culture news

New study suggests human firestarters lived much earlier than expected

Archaeologists in Britain have uncovered new evidence which suggests humankind's ability to master fire is some 350,000 years older than previously thought.

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Hundreds mourn Hong Kong fire victims ahead of elections

Hundreds of Hong Kong residents laid flowers at Wang Fuk Court, mourning 159 fire victims. The tragedy occurred just before tightly controlled elections.

India

At least 25 people killed in nightclub fire in India

An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the fire at a popular nightclub in the Indian state of Goa, which killed at least 25 people, including tourists, and injured six others.

China

Hong Kong says netting on buildings that caught fire did not meet code

The fire, which broke out on Wednesday, burned through seven of eight apartment towers, home to some 4,600 people, and wasn't fully extinguished until Friday morning.

Indonesia

Death toll from Indonesian floods and landslides rises to 442

According to the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), some 402 people were still missing after initial rescue efforts were hampered by a lack of heavy equipment.

China

At least 128 killed in Hong Kong fire with scores still missing

At least 128 people died in a massive fire at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex in Hong Kong. Authorities are investigating the cause, with 200 still unaccounted for.

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Hong Kong: At least 44 dead and hundreds missing in apartment complex fire

A massive fire in Tai Po, Hong Kong, has killed at least 44 and left 279 missing. Crews worked overnight to control the blaze that spread through seven towers.