Tragedies in Rouen, Brazil... Before Crans-Montana, other deadly fires in bars and nightclubs

A tragedy reminiscent of others. Before the devastating fire in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, during the New Year's Eve celebration, which is feared to have left "several dozen people" dead, other catastrophic fires have already ravaged bars and nightclubs in the past.

While the authorities in the Valais canton have opened an investigation into the "fire," they are not yet revealing details about the cause of the Crans-Montana tragedy. However, multiple testimonies suggest a possible cause for the disaster.

These accounts, shared by various Swiss, French, and Italian media, indicate that sparklers attached to bottles held by a person on another's shoulders ignited the fire by touching the ceiling. Witnesses noted that this was a regular "show" in the establishment.

"It seemed to me there were ladies, waitresses, with champagne bottles with small rockets. They were too, too close to the ceiling, and then it caught fire all of a sudden," recounted Axel, who was present during the incident, to the Italian media Local Team.

Historically, since 1970, there have been at least forty fires worldwide resulting in over 2,500 deaths and thousands of injuries in bars, cafes, or nightclubs, noted Ouest-France.