ZURICH (The Pak Global Pakistan) – The death toll from the devastating New Year bar fire in the Swiss alpine resort of Crans-Montana has risen to 41 after an 18-year-old victim succumbed to his injuries, Swiss authorities confirmed on Sunday.
According to a statement from the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Canton of Valais, the young Swiss national had been receiving treatment at a hospital in Zurich and passed away on Saturday. Officials did not release further details regarding his condition.
The tragic blaze erupted at the “Le Constellation” bar during New Year celebrations and stands among the deadliest disasters in Switzerland’s modern history. Most of the victims were teenagers, while dozens of the 116 injured remain hospitalized with critical burn injuries.
Sources familiar with the case revealed that the latest victim was a young man residing near the western Swiss city of Lausanne.
In an emotional show of solidarity, hundreds of mourners joined grieving families on Saturday in the lakeside town of Lutry near Lausanne. Participants carried white roses and a large banner calling for “truth and justice” as they marched through the streets.
Speaking to the crowd, Laetitia Brodard-Sitre, who lost her 17-year-old son Arthur in the fire, said the families were demanding accountability before they could fully grieve. “Today, we are asking for justice and truth. Mourning will come after,” she said.
The tragedy has also strained diplomatic ties with neighboring Italy, which lost several citizens in the fire. Italian authorities have raised concerns over the decision to grant bail to the bar’s owner. In response, Swiss officials announced earlier this week that Italy’s Public Prosecutor’s Office in Rome would be granted access to the evidence collected during the investigation.