At least 10 people have been killed with dozens more feared dead after an explosion at a bar in a Swiss sky resort town on New Year's Day.
More than 100 people were inside the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, which is popular with British tourists, when a blast caused a fire at around 1.30am on Thursday.
Swiss police told Sky News that at least 10 people were dead and another 10 were injured. The incident is not being treated as terror-related.
Local media outlets Rhône FM and Blick have reported that the death toll could be as high as 40.
Credit: via X
A doctor in the Swiss air ambulance and rescue service told the national broadcaster RTS that hospitals were "overwhelmed" with burn victims.
A no-fly zone has been imposed over the town and the area has been completely closed off as helicopters and air ambulances rescue victims.
A source in the emergency services described the incident as a "major catastrophe", with Blick claiming that pyrotechnics could have been involved, citing "unconfirmed reports".
Crans-Montana is a fashionable ski resort in the Valais region ofSwitzerland. It is set to host the FIS World Cup for skiing at the end of January.
Gaetan Lathion, a police spokesman, said: "The fire started around 1.30am this morning in a bar called Le Constellation.
"More than a hundred people were in the building, and we are seeing many injured and many dead."
A reception centre and helpline have been setup for impacted families, the spokesman added.
"We're just at the beginning of our investigation, but this is a internationally renowned ski resort with lots of tourists," Mr Lathion said.
The Foreign Office has been contacted for comment.
Police are set to hold a press conference at 9am UK time.
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