Swiss officials believe that the fatal fire was started by sparklers
Newshour
BBC
4.2 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 2 January 2026
⏱️ 48 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Investigators have questioned two French managers from the bar and are looking into the insulation foam used on the ceiling.
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(Picture: Tributes left in the town of Crans Montana in Switzerland. Credit: Bott / EPA)
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, podcasts. |
| 0:09.5 | Hello and welcome to News Hour, live from the BBC World Service in London. |
| 0:14.4 | I'm Rebecca Kesby. |
| 0:16.3 | Across the day, more details have been emerging as to what happened during the deadly fire at a New Year's Eve party in a bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crom, Montana. |
| 0:26.7 | At least 40 people have been killed. 119 are receiving treatment in hospital. |
| 0:32.8 | Authorities say it could be a while before they can identify those killed and even some of those injured. |
| 0:39.1 | It seems the fire erupted very quickly, leaving little time to escape. |
| 0:44.0 | One survivor, a young man called Nathan, described the panic that followed. |
| 0:52.2 | It was really a free-for-all, every man for himself. |
| 0:55.8 | I was already outside, so I could see the stairs. They were packed. |
| 1:00.4 | Some people were jumping over them to try and get through. |
| 1:03.5 | It was, let's say, like a nightmare, because we could also see the whole market, |
| 1:08.1 | clothes all torn, people in a total panic, screaming. It was like a nightmare. |
| 1:14.9 | Well, among those missing is Leticia Brodar's son, Arthur. This is what she told reporters a few |
| 1:20.8 | hours ago. I must find my son. And today, I must go through this kind of thing to find him. |
| 1:30.3 | It's been 30 hours since my son disappeared. |
| 1:33.3 | 30 hours. |
| 1:34.4 | 30 hours since I've had no news of my child. |
| 1:38.0 | So now I'm on social networks. |
| 1:39.7 | I started it yesterday. |
| 1:42.1 | I want the photo of my child to be everywhere, just in case. |
| 1:45.5 | Just in case someone recognizes him. |
... |
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