Several members of the Jewish community were injured in the explosion

The authorities in Switzerland continue to investigate the heavy disaster that happened on the night of New Year’s celebrations in the prestigious ski resort of Carnes-Montana, after a powerful explosion caused a fire in a local bar. According to the reports of the cantonal police in the Vala district, this is an “incident that claimed the lives of several dozen people”, probably over 40, and at least 100 more were injured, many of them seriously. The exact number of dead has not yet been published, and there are currently no reports of Israelis staying there. Zaka sent out a special expedition to search for three missing Jews.

The explosion occurred around 1:30 in the night at the Le Constellation bar, where over a hundred people were. Eyewitnesses said that it was an underground place with a particularly narrow emergency entrance and exit, which made it difficult to rescue the trapped. Following the disaster, many rescue forces were launched, including about 40 ambulances and 10 rescue helicopters, which evacuated victims to hospitals throughout Switzerland. Authorities announced that intensive care units in the province were at full capacity, and some of the injured were transferred to university hospitals outside the province.

Meanwhile, it was reported that several members of the local Jewish community were injured in the incident. The powerful explosion occurred near the synagogue of the Jewish community living there. Rabbi Yitzhak Levi Pavzner, Chabad emissary in Crans-Montana, describes the moments of drama: “We heard a huge explosion at night and realized that something terrible had happened. In a short time all the streets were filled with people, ambulances and emergency and rescue teams. It’s a terrible disaster.” According to him, “Since the night hours I’ve been receiving calls and messages from residents and members of the community asking how we are and waiting for good news. The fear was that it might be an attack aimed at the synagogue or the Jewish community, but that is not the case.”

According to the information in the community’s possession, several of its members were injured from the attack and were rushed to receive medical treatment, two of the Jewish community are still defined as out of touch. Rabbi Levy is at the emergency center set up by the local authorities and helps both the members of the community and the local residents: “We all mobilized and came here to help in everything. In this difficult time we stand by our friends and will continue to support and help in everything.”

The authorities in Switzerland emphasize that this is not a terrorist attack, and the general prosecutor of the Valais district, Beatrice Filud, clarified at a press conference: “The possibility of an attack can be completely ruled out.” The circumstances of the explosion and fire are still unclear, and an extensive investigation is ongoing with the assistance of forensic experts. Early estimates appeared in the local media that the incident may have been caused by the use of pyrotechnics during a celebration at the site, but the authorities called for speculation to be avoided.

Following the disaster, the Vala District Council declared a special state of emergency, with the aim of enabling the full mobilization of all the necessary resources to deal with the consequences. The President of Switzerland, Guy Parmelen, announced the postponement of his New Year’s speech, “out of respect for the suffering and grief of the victims’ families.”

The police said that among the dead and injured there are citizens from different countries, this is due to the fact that Carnes-Montana is a popular international ski resort. The identity of the victims has not yet been released, and the authorities asked the public to obey the instructions, to avoid coming to the area and to reduce visits to the hospitals so as not to burden the emergency system. The investigation is ongoing, and updates will follow as more official information is received.