Dutch burn centers ready to help victims of deadly Swiss ski resort explosion
Burn centers in the Netherlands were ready and willing to help Swiss healthcare workers treat patients who were injured in an explosion at a bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, during New Year’s celebrations. The deadly blast ripped through the resort location, with Swiss and Italian authorities saying it likely killed at least 40 people and injured around 100 others.
Dutch burn centers said on Thursday they are ready to provide assistance to those treating the Crans-Montana wounded, if help is needed. "The hospitals are ready to provide immediate care and support to victims with burns and complex injuries, if necessary," said the group, including the Red Cross Hospital in Beverwijk, the Maasstad Hospital in Rotterdam, and the Martini Hospital in Groningen.
Authorities in Switzerland and Italy believe the incident at the bar, Le Constellation, may have started around 1:30 a.m. on Thursday when a sparkler attached to a champagne bottle ignited the ceiling after a woman raised the bottle in the air. More than 100 people were inside the bar when fire swept through the venue.
Witnesses described chaotic scenes inside the bar. There was only one available exit, which was too narrow, prompting guests to smash a window to escape. Several young women told French television channel BFMTV that there was “absolute panic,” with people screaming as the situation unfolded.
The tragic incident left many with serious injuries. According to Italian officials, some victims cannot yet be identified due to the severity of their burn wounds. Emergency services responded quickly, and the injured were taken to hospitals in Sion, Lausanne, Genève, Bern, and Zürich.
A European coordination point is now assessing whether capacity from outside Switzerland is necessary. Because specialized care is often involved, assistance from other countries is quickly called in during such incidents, the spokesperson for the Dutch burn centers told ANP.
"We are closely monitoring developments and have capacity available to accommodate victims, and can scale up if necessary, so that we can respond quickly and effectively if victims need to be transferred to the Netherlands," the hospitals said.
Officials said foreigners are among the victims, though nationalities have not been disclosed. Swiss police described Crans-Montana as an “internationally renowned ski resort with many tourists.”
Swiss media reported that two French nationals are among the injured. The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it is investigating whether any Dutch citizens were there.
Caretaker Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel said he was “shocked and saddened” by the explosion. In a message posted on X, the caretaker minister offered his condolences “to everyone who has been affected” by the disaster in Crans-Montana.
The site is a popular international ski resort in southwestern Switzerland. Swiss police were quick to rule out the possibility of a terrorist attack hours after the incident.
