Dozens feared dead after explosion in Swiss ski resort bar, police say

Dozens of people are feared dead, and around 100 others injured, after an explosion tore through a crowded bar during a New Year’s Eve party at the upscale ski resort of Crans-Montana, Switzerland, authorities said Thursday (January 1).

The Italian Foreign Ministry reported that Swiss police information indicated about 40 deaths, but officials would only confirm "tens" of fatalities during a press conference on the incident.

The explosion and subsequent fire occurred at 1:30 a.m. (0030 GMT) at a bar called Le Constellation in the southwestern resort. Emergency services rushed to the scene as authorities began investigating the cause of the blast.

Production: Lewis Macdonald/Reuters