According to the Swiss news agency Keystone-SDAhe «flashover» generated one or more explosions in the ski resort bar of Crans-Montanain the heart of the Swiss Alps, during the early hours of New Year’s Eve.
The technical phenomenon called «flashover» consists of the sudden transition from a localized fire to a generalized and total fire within an area. Herein physical-chemical reactionthe heat accumulates under the roof of the premises and the combustion gases are distributed throughout the available space.
The temperature inside rises extremely quickly, reaching several hundred degrees in just a few minutes.. This thermal rise causes the simultaneous ignition of all the combustible materials in the room.
As a consequence, the flames spread violently and sudden throughout the internal structure of the building. Under these extreme circumstances, the survival of people inside is practically impossible.
Authorities in the canton of Valais reported that a “flashover” caused one or more explosions at the establishment.The phenomenon represents a deadly riskeven for the professional firefighting teams that responded to the rescue tasks.
The authorities of the canton of Valais reported that this «flashover» triggered one or more explosions at the establishment. The prosecution maintains this widespread fire as the main clue to the tragedy, although The initial origin of the fire is still a matter of official investigation.
Fire in Crans-Montana bar leaves 40 dead and 115 injured
The death toll confirmed by the police amounts to forty people dead and 115 injured. Many of those affected are in critical condition with extremely serious and extensive burns on their bodies.
The bar, identified as «La Constellation»had a regular audience of young people between the ages of fifteen and twenty. The Attorney General of Valais, Beatrice Pilloudwarned that the identification of the corpses will be a difficult task that requires the exhaustive work of specialists in legal medicine.
The death toll confirmed by the police amounts to forty people dead and 115 injured. Photo: EFE/EPA/Alessandro Della Valle.Given the magnitude of the disaster, the governments of France, Italia y Germany They offered their immediate support to the Swiss healthcare system. Several of the most serious patients will be transferred to hospitals in these neighboring countries to receive specialized care.
The Swiss president, Guy Parmelindescribed the event as one of the worst tragedies in the country’s history. As an official measure of mourning, the president ordered that flags fly at half-mast at the Federal Palace in Bern for five days.
For his part, the French president Emmanuel Macron confirmed the availability of its hospital centers to help the victims. The transfer of the injured, among whom there are at least two identified French citizens, is carried out using helicopters to highly complex centers.
With information from EFE and ANSA.
