A fire at a bar in the resort of Crans Montana has killed around 40 people and injured more than 100 – most of them seriously.
The scale of the disaster, one of the worst to hit the country, says Swiss President Guy Parmelin, is putting the Swiss health system under massive pressure.
The injured are suffering from severe burns – there are only two specialized burn units in the country – in Lausanne and Zurich - leading to worries some may not get the care they need.
Neighbouring counties, especially Italy, are offering help.
Some patients are being transferred to Milan. Authorities say there are already Italian helicopters and planes at Sion airport to transfer some of the injured.
At a press conference, Parmelin says identifying the victims is a priority and thanked other countries for their support.
It’s the first day for Parmelin as president – he cancelled the traditional New Year’s speech following the tragedy.
He’s ordered flags to be flown at half-mast for the next five days.
Investigations into how the fire started are now ongoing, but many witnesses say it was triggered by sparkling candle on a champagne bottle which was being carried across the room.
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