A French footballer has been identified as one of the victims in a tragic fire that swept through a Swiss ski resort on New Year’s Day.
FC Metz, a French football club, has confirmed that their player, Tahirys Dos Santos, 19, was among those injured in the fire at Le Constellation bar on January 1.
In an official statement, the club mentioned that Dos Santos suffered ‘severe burns and has been airlifted to Germany for medical treatment.’
The club also expressed their shock and solidarity, stating, ‘the leaders, players, coaches, and employees of the club are united in their thoughts for Tahirys.’
The devastating fire resulted in approximately 40 fatalities and at least 115 injuries during the New Year’s Eve celebrations at Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but witnesses at the scene have suggested that champagne bottles with sparklers, carried by waitresses, might have accidentally ignited the roof.
Attorney General Beatrice Pilloud refrained from confirming this hypothesis, stating that officials are not making any confirmations at this stage.
Currently, the prevailing theory is that a ‘general fire’ led to the ‘conflagration.’
Le #FCMetz a la douleur d’annoncer que Tahirys Dos Santos, joueur stagiaire du club, a été blessé lors de l’incendie survenu à Crans-Montana.
L'ensemble du club unit ses pensées pour les adresser à Tahirys, dans ces heures où il combat la souffrance.
— FC Metz ☨ (@FCMetz) January 1, 2026
Officials have ruled out the possibility of an ‘explosive device’ or any connection to ‘terrorism’ in relation to the fire.
Pilloud also reported that no arrests have been made, and there are no identified suspects at this time.
Following the incident, Switzerland’s president, Guy Parmelin, described the fire as ‘a drama of unknown scale’ and offered his profound condolences to those impacted by the disaster.
What was a moment of joy turned into a tragedy in Crans-Montana last night, felt across the country and beyond. The Federal Council has taken note of this with deep dismay. Its thoughts are with the victims, the injured and their families and it extends its deepest condolences.
— Guy Parmelin (@ParmelinG) January 1, 2026
“What was a moment of joy turned into a tragedy in Crans-Montana last night, felt across the country and beyond,” he wrote on X. “The Federal Council has taken note of this with deep dismay. Its thoughts are with the victims, the injured and their families and it extends its deepest condolences.”
Swiss police have indicated that over 100 people were gathered at Le Constellation, located in the upscale ski resort town approximately two hours from Bern, the Swiss capital.
Revelers had just celebrated the arrival of the new year and were continuing their festivities when the explosion occurred at around 1:30 a.m. local time.
Gaetan Lathion, a police spokesperson in the Wallis canton of southwestern Switzerland, told AFP: “More than a hundred people were in the building, and we are seeing many injured and many dead.”
Lathion confirmed that there was an explosion in the bar, but its origin remains unidentified.
In response to the disaster, authorities have cordoned off the area around Le Constellation and established a no-fly zone over Crans-Montana.