A blue moon, lunar eclipses and super moons. What 2026 has in store.

2026 will bring severallunar eventsthat backyard astronomers will want to stay awake for.

The first full moon of the year will take place on Saturday, Jan. 3, and is known as the Wolf Moon, according to the Farmer's Almanac.

The moon will also be a super moon, which will look around 30% brighter and up to 14% larger. It will be the last super moon until November 2026.

But January's full moon isn't the only lunar event to look forward to in 2026. From an eclipse and a blue moon to super moons, these are the events you should mark your calendar for.

When is the first full moon of 2026?

The first full moon will take place on Saturday, Jan. 3, and it will also be a super moon.

Once in a blue moon

A blue moon is set to occur on May 31, and will peak at 4:45 a.m. ET. And no, the moon won't actually look like the color blue.

A blue moon is not a common occurrence, hence the expression "once in a blue moon," and only occurs every 2.5 years, according toNASA.

The last blue moon occurred on Aug. 19, 2024, when the moon was asuper blue moon, meaning it was the closest it had been to Earth that month and appeared brighter and larger.

Several lunar events will take place throughout 2026.

2026 lunar eclipses

There will be two lunar eclipses in 2026, according toNASA. Both will be visible in the Americas.

The lunar eclipses will take place on the following dates:

2026 super moons

2026 will have three super moons, including the one in January.

The super moon will take place on the following dates, according to theDetroit Free Press, a part of the USA TODAY Network:

  • Saturday, Jan. 3

  • Tuesday, Nov. 24

  • Wednesday, Dec. 23

When will the moon be full in 2026?

The moon will be full on the following dates, according to theFarmer's Almanac:

  • Wolf Moon- Peaks Jan. 3, at 5:03 a.m. ET

  • Snow Moon- Peaks Feb. 1, at 5:09 p.m. ET

  • Worm Moon (total lunar eclipse)- Peaks March 3, at 6:38 a.m. ET

  • Pink Moon- Peaks April 1, at 10:12 p.m. ET

  • Flower Moon- Peaks May 1, at 1:23 p.m. ET

  • Blue Moon- Peaks May 31, at 4:45 a.m. ET. The blue moon occurs when two full moons occur in the same month. The last blue moon occurred on Aug. 19, 2024, according to Space.com.

  • Strawberry Moon- Peaks June 29, at 7:57 p.m. ET

  • Buck Moon- Peaks July 29, at 10:36 a.m. ET

  • Sturgeon Moon (partial lunar eclipse)- Peaks Aug. 28, at 12:18 a.m. ET

  • Harvest Moon- Peaks Sept. 26, at 12:49 p.m. ET

  • Hunter's Moon- Peaks Oct. 26, at 12:12 a.m. ET

  • Beaver Moon (super moon)- Peaks Nov. 24, at 9:53 a.m. ET

  • Cold Moon (super moon)- Peaks Dec. 23, at 8:28 p.m.

Contributing: Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press

Julia is a Trending reporter for USA TODAY and covers scientific studies and trending news. Connect with her onLinkedIn,X,Instagram, andTikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:See list of 2026 lunar events. A blue moon, eclipses and more

A blue moon, lunar eclipses and super moons. What 2026 has in store.

2026 will bring severallunar eventsthat backyard astronomers will want to stay awake for. The first ...
People enter Quality Learning Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Tuesday, by which time work had been started to fix a misspelling on the sign. - CNN

It may now be the most famous – or infamous – sign in the country. Posted above a door on Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis, the Quality Learning Center was missing an "n."

For aconservative content creatorattempting to call out fraud – and the supporters who made his video on day care centers in Minneapolis' Somali community viral – it seemed too absurd not to mention.

"This is Quality 'Learing' Center," Nick Shirley said, pointing to the sign. "They spelled 'learning' wrong."

Shirley's 42-minute video posted the day after Christmas quickly spread, promptingstepped up immigration enforcement,frozen federal fundsand morebiting rhetoricagainst the Somali community from President Donald Trump.

Although Shirley's encounters with other businesses were often more dramatic, the misspelled sign and its locked door made Quality Learning Center a focus of criticism aimed at the state government and Gov. Tim Walz for a system opponents say has allowed fraud to run rampant in Minnesota.

"These are not real businesses," Shirleytold CNN's Whitney Wildthis week, pointing to the Quality Learning Center. A man identifying himself as a manager for the centertold a local TV stationthere was "no fraud going on whatsoever."

CNN is looking into Shirley's claims that this and other Minneapolis-area day care centers are committing fraud.

Federal law enforcement has beeninvestigating fraudin Minnesota forseveral years, and "98 individuals have been charged in our ongoing fraud against the government cases," Assistant US Attorney Melinda Williams told CNN Tuesday. No fraud charges have been filed against Quality Learning Center.

Records show the business has faced repeated questions of whether the service it is providing is meeting state standards, but none of the violations suggested fraud.

Here's what we know about the Quality Learning Center.

According to figures provided to CNN by the state House Republican Caucus, Quality Learning Center was set to receive $1.9 million from theChild Care Assistance Program– known as CCAP – for 2025. It has received nearly $10 million from CCAP since 2019, the document shows.

Nick Shirley speaks outside of Quality Learning Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Tuesday. - CNN

The caucus told CNN the funding figures were obtained from the state Department of Human Services, which did not respond to CNN's request for confirmation Wednesday.

State GOP leadership said they raised concerns about day care centers, including Quality Learning Center, months ago.

"The (House)fraud committee… featured a number of these apparently vacant sites in a hearing that took place all the way back in February, which also included the infamous Quality Learning Center featured in the viral video," state House Speaker Lisa DemuthsaidMonday.

CCAP does not take applications directly from day care centers. Instead, qualified working parents and other eligible caregivers who make less than the program's income limitapplydirectly to the state for assistance, which is paid to the day care center.

A budgetforecastproduced in November by the agency that runs CCAP says it's projected to cost the state $56 million in the 2025 fiscal year. Another $101 million in funding for the program was expected to come from the federal government.

Quality Learning Center's most recent inspection – which state officials say are done unannounced – was on June 23, the facility'slicensing recordshows.

"There have been ongoing investigations involving several of those centers. None of those investigations uncovered findings of fraud," state Department of Children, Youth, and Families Commissioner Tikki Brown said Monday of centers covered in Shirley's video, adding that new site visits would be conducted this week. The department did not respond to multiple requests from CNN for whether those additional visits have been completed and what the results were.

"There's no fraud going on whatsoever," said Ibrahim Ali, who identified himself as a manager and son of the owners of Quality Learning Center, toCNN affiliate KAREon Monday. He said Shirley's video was taken before the business had opened for the day.

"If you look around, there's cars now because our employees are here, our children are here," he said on Monday.

Shirley's video came 11 months after a similar visit to Quality Learning Center from a reporter forlocal TV station KSTP, who also was told by a worker that the building was not yet open because it provides after-school care, with posted operating hours of 2 to 10 p.m.

State DHSrecordsshow Quality Learning Center was cited for 121 violations from May 2022 to June 2025, including 10 in the most recent inspection, listed as a licensing review. Citations included having an unqualified substitute and failing to have proper documentation for children's medicine. None of the violations suggest that the building was empty.

The state records also show correction documents were submitted and approved in response to the violations.

But even without allegations of fraud, Quality Learning Center's license has previously been in jeopardy.

In May 2022, site inspectors found 27 violations, 10 of them repeats of previous violations.

"Due to the serious and chronic nature of these violations, and the conditions in the program, which impact the health and safety of children in your care, your license to provide childcare services is placed on a conditional status for two years," said a publicly filednoticein June 2022.

Although Shirley's video implied the day care was empty, several of the violations noted in that report involved overcrowding, with too many children in some rooms and too few adults supervising them.

Staff lacked training, the 2022 notice said, and one person misidentified themselves to investigators.

The citation focused on a lack of documentation for many children. "There were several children present who did not have files," the letter says, adding that "staff were unable to provide the first and last names for most of the children present."

Although it remained on conditional status for two years, Quality Learning Center was never suspended, according to state records. It has twice been fined $200 for allowing the background check on an employee to expire.

On Tuesday afternoon, the sidewalk in front of the facility had become a hive of activity – including the return of Nick Shirley – as media and Shirley supporters watched adults escorting children in and out. A CNN crew was kept back from the property, told by an unidentified person that being in the parking lot would be considered trespassing.

Determining exactly how many children are served by Quality Learning Center – now, or in the past – is difficult from state records. The facility is licensed to provide care for a maximum of 99 children, but Ali, the center's manager, told KARE it serves anywhere from 50 to 80 children on an average day.

The state Department of Human Services has not responded to CNN's requests for details about enrollment figures.

CNN has been unable to reach the business or its registered owner, Siman Aden, using listed phone numbers, and it is not clear if they have an attorney.

Questions about the current status of the business were complicated by conflicting statements on Monday.

"Quality Learning Center closed just over a week ago," Brown said in anews conference, an assertion repeated in a statement to CNN from Walz's office.

But observers found kids arriving at Quality Learning Center that same afternoon, resulting in a raft of onlineconspiracytheories.Quality Learning Center "decided to remain open," a department spokesperson told theMinnesota Star Tribune.

Speaking to CNN outside the building Tuesday, Nick Shirley dismissed the idea that seeing children entering the building disproved his video.

"They're showing face right now," hesaid.

CNN reached out to Brown's agency for more information about why it initially thought the center had closed. The state licensing database shows Quality Learning Center's license was renewed through the end of 2026.

And as for that missing letter "n"? Ali told KARE it was a mistake by the graphic designer. By Tuesday, work on a fix was underway.

CNN's Whitney Wild and Chris Boyette contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

What we know about a Minneapolis day care center that was highlighted in video about alleged fraud

It may now be the most famous – or infamous – sign in the country. Posted above a door on Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis, the Quality Lear...
Coast Guard searches for 77-year-old woman who went overboard from cruise ship

The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for a 77-year-old woman who went overboard from a Holland America Line cruise ship.

The woman was a passenger on the Nieuw Statendam ship, which was roughly 40 miles northeast of Sabana, Cuba, when she went overboard on Thursday, the Coast Guard said.

The Coast Guard has deployed Cutter William Trump and an MH-60 helicopter to help with the search.

The ship departed from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Saturday and was on a seven-day journey through the eastern Caribbean, according to Holland America Line.

"The captain and crew initiated search and rescue procedures and are searching the area working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard," the cruise line said in a statement. "Our family assistance team is supporting the guest's family, and our thoughts are with the guest's loved ones during this difficult time."

The ship was scheduled to dock at Key West, Florida, on Friday, but that stop was canceled because of the ongoing search, the cruise line said.

Police report details charges against Patriots' Stefon Diggs, who denies the allegations

Tony Dokoupil: Don't just trust me. Make me earn it.

Exclusive discounts from CBS Mornings Deals

Coast Guard searches for 77-year-old woman who went overboard from cruise ship

The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for a 77-year-old woman who went overboard from a Holland America Line cruise ship...
Hector Vivas/Getty Will Smith in 2024

Hector Vivas/Getty

Brian King Joseph, a violinist and finalist of season 13 ofAmerica's Got Talent, is suingWill Smith, claiming he was fired for reporting an incident of sexual harassment.

In a lawsuit filed in California Superior Court on Tuesday, Joseph, whom Smith hired to perform on hisBased on a True Story: 2025global tour, alleges that he was not only subject to a "traumatic series of events" while working with Smith, but that he was terminated for reporting them.

Joseph is suing Smith and his Treyball Studios Management, Inc. over an alleged incident in March 2025 in which someone left him a disturbing message after gaining ungranted access to his Las Vegas hotel room during the tour.

According to the complaint, obtained and reviewed byEntertainment Weekly, the individual left evidence of a "sexual threat of violence," including "wipes, a beer bottle, a red backpack, a bottle of HIV medication with another individual's name, an earring, and hospital discharge paperwork" belonging to someone else.

A note was also left behind that read, "Brian, I'll be back... just us," signed with a heart and the name Stone F.

Tommaso Boddi/Getty Brian King Joseph in 2025

Tommaso Boddi/Getty

Entertainment Weeklyhas reached out to Joseph's attorney and representatives for Smith for comment.

Want more movie news? Sign up forEntertainment Weekly's free newsletterto get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more.

The complaint also claims that before the alleged incident, Smith "was deliberately grooming and priming Mr. Joseph for further sexual exploitation" after he hired him to accompany Smith on the tour supporting his fifth studio album. "You and I have such a special connection that I don't have with anyone else," Joseph claims Smith told him during one meeting. The complaint also details one alleged incident in which Smith's management lost Joseph's bag, which included his hotel room key.

Joseph claims that after he discovered that someone had entered his hotel room, he reported his findings to the hotel staff, a local non-emergency police line, and Smith's management team. One member of that team "shamed" Joseph, the complaint claims, and told him he would be terminated.

The complaint subsequently characterizes Joseph's termination days later as retaliatory and dismisses the hasty hiring of another violinist in his stead as an attempt to cover up Joseph's removal from the tour.

The "circumstances of the hotel intrusion all point to a pattern of predatory behavior rather than an isolated incident," the complaint reads.

Joseph also reports experiencing "severe emotional distress, economic loss, reputational harm, and other damages" following the alleged incident and the termination that he claims resulted from it, including "PTSD and other mental illness."

The musician is seeking compensation for personal and financial damages, with the complaint noting that Joseph undertook significant financial burden in order to prepare for the tour.

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

Will Smith sued for sexual harassment, wrongful termination by tour violinist

Hector Vivas/Getty Brian King Joseph, a violinist and finalist of season 13 ofAmerica's Got Talent, is suingWill Smith, claiming h...
Cocaine, abuse, 'full meltdown' – Chevy Chase doc revelations

Far from a "Christmas Vacation," CNN'sChevy Chasedocumentary doesn't shy away from the actor's marred legacy.

"Chevy's a very smart guy," says Marina Zenovich, director of "I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not" (premiering New Year's Day, 8 ET/PT). "This wasn't going to be a hagiography. So of course I'm going to dig into those things."

Featuring interviews with Chase's family – his wife of 43 years, Jayni, their three daughters, and Chase's brothers – as well as his costars, includingDan Aykroyd, Beverly D'Angelo,Goldie HawnandMartin Short− the film revisits Chase's early days of living in a cockroach-filled apartment on Lexington Avenue in New York City and bowing out as the drummer of the band that would become Steely Dan.

In the documentary, the actor also revealshow hurt he waswhen he wasn't included in a sketch forFebruary's 50th anniversary of "Saturday Night Live" (he was a member of the show's inaugural cast) and the impact ofheart failure, which has affected his memory. The film also addresses his shadow side, which struggled with a reliance on cocaine and alcohol and had a "full meltdown" on set.

Chevy Chase's abusive stepfather, 'out of control' mom

Chase's parents divorced when he was around 4. His mother, Cathalene, remarried to a man named John Cederquist. He "had a flash anger," Chase's half-brother, also named John Cederquist, says, "and he could lash out with a single blow and no talk before or after. He did not take to anything that he perceived as insolence. Chevy was insolent."

Chase, now 82, remembers being slapped at breakfast by his stepfather; he says his mother was also abusive. In the documentary, Chase says he was raised by "an out-of-control woman, who I look back on, and I say I feel sorry for her. She had her own issues. Bad ones."

Wife Jayni says in the film: "The first time we stayed together, the first time I went to wake him up, he shuddered. And he explained, 'Well, my mother would wake me up slapping me,' from the time he was a little guy."

"Our mother was a bag of cats," Chase's brother John says, "certainly on the schizoid spectrum."

<p style=Chevy Chase is looking back on a lifetime of laughs in a new documentary about his distinguished comedy career.

The comedian, 82, was part of the original cast of "Saturday Night Live" in 1975 and after leaving the show starred in a string of hit comedies throughout the 1980s, including "Caddyshack" and "National Lampoon's Vacation."

With the documentary "I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not" set to premiere on CNN, scroll through for a look back at Chase's career, starting with Chase with his "Saturday Night Live" costars in 1975.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Chevy Chase was known for his recurring "Weekend Update" anchor role on "Saturday Night Live."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=One of Chevy Chase's iconic roles was as Clark Griswold in the 1985 film "National Lampoon's Vacation" alongside Beverly D'Angelo as his wife Ellen, Anthony Michael Hall as his son Rusty and Dana Barron as his daughter Audrey.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Chevy Chase in the 1989 film "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Chevy Chase starred in the 1997 film "Vegas Vacation."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Chevy Chase appeared in the 2000 film "Snow Day."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Chevy Chase, seen here with Gillian Jacobs, starred on the NBC sitcom "Community."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Chevy Chase appeared in the 2010 comedy film "Hot Tub Time Machine."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Chevy Chase returned as Clark Griswold in the 2015 film "Vacation" with Beverly D'angelo. Ed Helms starred as Rusty Griswold with Christina Applegate as Rusty's wife Debbie Griswold, along with Skyler Gisondo and Steele Stebbins as their kids.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Chevy Chase poses for a portrait during the People's Choice Awards 2010 held at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Jan. 6, 2010, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

From 'Caddyshack' to 'National Lampoon,' see Chevy Chase's memorable roles

Chevy Chase is looking back on a lifetime of laughs in a new documentary about his distinguished comedy career.The comedian, 82, was part of the original cast of "Saturday Night Live" in 1975 and after leaving the show starred in a string of hit comedies throughout the 1980s, including "Caddyshack" and "National Lampoon's Vacation."With the documentary "I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not" set to premiere on CNN, scroll through for a look back at Chase's career, starting with Chase with his "Saturday Night Live" costars in 1975.

Chevy Chase enters rehab for cocaine addiction

Others at "Saturday Night Live" took drugs to keep up with the demands of a live weekly sketch show, but "the person that they worried about the most was Chevy," says James Andrew Miller, coauthor of "Live From New York." "He was doing a lot of drugs."

Producer Alan Greisman recalls a vacation to Hawaii in 1981 when Chase "had somebody ship him many ounces of coke in a special shaving cream can, which you could twist in a certain way and get to the coke."

Chase's brother, Ned, also recalls cocaine being a table centerpiece at a dinner in LA. "In the center of the table, there was, like, a lazy Susan" with a pyramid on it, Ned says. "That pyramid was cocaine."

The comedian's cocaine use became unavoidable in 1986 when a doctor informed Jayni of her husband's addiction. So they held an intervention. "He said, 'I know I need to stop, and I know I need help,'" Jayni remembers.

That year, Chase was admitted to the Betty Ford treatment center in Rancho Mirage, California,telling the public it was for a dependency on painkillers. "But after a week, he called me and begged me to come pick him up," Jayni says.

Chevy Chase is the subject of CNN's new documentary,

Chevy Chase denies Terry Sweeney's account of 'SNL' hosting

When Chase returned to host "SNL" in 1985, he clashed with the show's first openly gay cast member,Terry Sweeney. Jon Lovitz recalled in the book "Live From New York" that Chase asked Sweeney to lick his testicles.

"I think Chevy was just being Chevy," "SNL" creatorLorne Michaelssays. "We would say terrible things because that's what would make us laugh."

Sweeney, who declined to be interviewed for the documentary, described Chase as "a monster" in the "SNL" oral history "Live From New York." He "insulted everybody," Sweeney said, and suggested a sketch in which Sweeney contracted AIDS and is weighed weekly.

Hearing the joke in the documentary makes Chase laugh uncomfortably. "That's the worst," he assesses before expressing his hope that Sweeney is dead, "because I don't want you talking to him about this."

Terry Sweeney, a member of the cast when Chevy Chase hosted in 1985, poses at

When a member of the crew suggests a reading from "Live From New York," Chase replies: "Oh, this is great, thanks. This will make my day."

Sweeney wrote in the book that Chase was asked to apologize and was "really furious" about that. "None of that's true," Chase insists. "I would remember that … that I was angry, that I had to apologize to him. … My memory is that he's lying, is my memory. He's not telling the truth."

Sweeney, inan online conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, doubled down on his loathing of Chase. "It all reflects rightly horribly on him!"Sweeney told the outlet. Sweeney also doesn't allow Chase's childhood abuse to excuse his behavior.

"Boohoo … poor screwed up kid … so THAT's why he's so rotten!!!!!!!" Sweeney told the outlet. USA TODAY reached out to reps for Sweeney and Chase for comment.

Chevy Chase's 'meltdown' on the set of 'Community'

Jay Chandrasekhar, who directed episodes of "Community" (2009–2015), noticed "a little bit of negativity around Chevy and rest of the cast." Chandrasekhar says that to minimize Chase's time on set with costarsAlison Brie,Yvette Nicole Brown,Donald Glover, Gillian Jacobs, Ken Jeong and Joel McHale, series creator Dan Harmon broke Chase's character's legs in Season 2 to isolate him.

Jayni says Chase was viewed as "the old fart" on the show and noticed him drinking heavily.

"He was not an alcoholic all those years, but alcoholism is a whole different level," she says. "It really takes over, and that was hard for him to stop."

Chase had concerns about his character, Pierce Hawthorne.

"They were writing his character more and more bigoted," Chase's daughter Caley says, "and he was getting upset about it."

Dan Harmon, creator of

"Harmon writes this, a blackface hand-puppet routine," Chandrasekhar says, referencing an episode in Season 4 filmed in 2012 that he directed. "The character is a little tone deaf on this thing. Now had it been Chevy in his heyday he would've been totally fine. He said something to Yvette. I know that there was a history between those two around race, and she got up and stormed out of there. Chevy storms off."

At the time,The Hollywood Reporter, citing an unidentified source, said Chase used a racial slur "while venting his ongoing frustration with his character … when questioning the dialogue in a scene" with Brown and Glover, who are Black. "The slur was not directed at them," the source says.

Chandrasekhar says in the documentary that Brown refused to resume filming unless Chase apologized.

"He comes back on the set, and he goes, 'Hey man, I didn't say anything,'" Chandrasekhar says. "And I'm like: 'No, I know. I know.' He goes, 'You know me and Richard Pryor, I used to call Richard Pryor the N-word. He used to call me The Honkey, and we loved each other.' And I'm like, 'I know, man. I love that bit.'"

When Chandrasekhar asked for an apology, he says Chase replied, "For what?"

According to The Hollywood Reporter's 2012 report, Chase "apologized immediately."

Chandrasekhar says that after the incident made news, Chase "comes storming onto the set, and he goes, 'Who f----- me over?… My career is ruined. I'm ruined!'"

"It's a full meltdown," Chandrasekhar adds. "'F--- all of you!'"

Pierce's death was revealed in Season 5.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Chevy Chase documentary reveals 'pyramid' of cocaine, 'full meltdown'

Cocaine, abuse, 'full meltdown' – Chevy Chase doc revelations

Far from a "Christmas Vacation," CNN'sChevy Chasedocumentary doesn't shy away from the actor's mar...
Eric McCandless/Disney; Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Melora Hardin and Sarah Jessica Parker

Eric McCandless/Disney; Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty

Key Points

  • Melora Hardin is recounting a harrowing encounter with an animal actor while on the set of a '90s procedural starring Sarah Jessica Parker.

  • The Office star tells EW that during the filming of an episode of Equal Justice, she "had to deal with a monkey, and the monkey bit me."

  • "It didn't make me bleed, but it definitely cut my skin," she reflects, able to look back on it now with perspective. "I'm fine. You know? We put a Band-Aid on it, and then we did it again."

Whoever said acting was an easy gig?

After appearing in over 100 films and TV series since the time she was 6 years old,Melora Hardinhas lived to tell the truth — good and ugly — about show business.

In a recent, career-spanning interview withEntertainment Weekly, theOffice,Monk, and27 Dressesstar recalled one of her more harrowing experiences with a costar — but not one she could reason with like Steve Carell or Tony Shalhoub.

"I had actually done something withSarah Jessica Parker, where I also had to deal with a monkey, and the monkey bit me on that one," Hardin shares. Reflecting on her many memorable on-set experiences with animals, from leading the Saturday morning kids showThunderwith a horse to her infamous encounter with Marcel the capuchin onFriends, Hardin remains as ardent an animal lover as ever. But the close call with Parker on the short-lived ABC seriesEqual Justicerattled the actress.

Craig Blankenhorn /American Broadcasting Companies via Getty Sarah Jessica Parker on 'Equal Justice'

Craig Blankenhorn /American Broadcasting Companies via Getty

"It didn't make me bleed, but it definitely cut my skin," she says. "It could have been worse, but those monkeys, it was the same kind of monkey [as onFriends]. Those monkeys are just so high strung. They're just really hyper kind of animals. They're really highly anxious."

Hardin says that working with the worrisome Marcel was just as tricky. The only difference was that theFriendsexperience didn't result in injury. "It was a similar thing. He just was jumping around in the scene and he just decided to bite me.

Equal Justicewas a legal procedural that aired on ABC from 1990 to 1991. Parker played the fresh-faced law school graduate Jo Ann Harris, who must prove herself as a junior member of a competitive staff of prosecutors at a district attorney's office. Hardin guest-starred as Doris on a season 2 episode in which Jo Ann teams up with Jane Kaczmarek's Linda Bauer to crack a case against a pregnant addict.

By that time, Hardin had just secured a star turn in the lead role of CBS' series adaptation ofDirty Dancing, while Parker was already an established A-lister with roles in films likeFootlooseand series likeSquare Pegs. Half a decade later, they'd both land their next big breaks, with Hardin appearing in the Clint Eastwood thrillerAbsolute Powerand Parker headliningSex and the City.

Justin Lubin/NBCU Photo Bank Melora Hardin with Steve Carell on 'The Office'

Justin Lubin/NBCU Photo Bank

Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with ourEW Dispatch newsletter.Hardin can now shrug when looking back on theEqual Justicedebacle. "I love animals, and I'm okay with them. I mean, if today that happened to an actress, I don't know, would they sue? Oh, God!" she jokes. Ultimately, theEqual Justicescene turned out as planned. "I'm fine. You know? We put a Band-Aid on it, and then we did it again.

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

“The Office ”star recalls getting bitten by a monkey on set with Sarah Jessica Parker

Eric McCandless/Disney; Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Key Points Melora Hardin is recounting a harrowing encounter with an animal actor whil...
Inside Le Constellation bar

A fire tore through a Swiss ski resort bar as young revellers welcomed in the new year, killing at least 40 people and injuring 115.

Foreign tourists were among the victims of the blaze that engulfed the packed basement of Le Constellation bar in the luxury resort of Crans-Montana, in the predominantly French-speaking district of Sierre, police said, without revealing nationalities.

Business owners have now criticised thelack of health and safety regulationsin the region.

According to witnesses, a barmaid carried on the shoulders of a colleague held a champagne bottletopped with a sparklerabove her head, which ignited the basement's ceiling at around 1.30am local time on New Year's Day.

Footage showed flames rapidly spreading along the ceiling above the bar as music continued playing. The fire set off a series of explosions.

The blaze was believed to have triggered the release of combustible gases that ignited violently and caused what firefighters call a flashover fire or backdraft.

People leave flowers outside Le Constellation bar after the devastating fire

A crowd of 200 partygoers, the vast majority aged between 16 and 25, rushed to escape up a narrow flight of stairs through a single door. Others tried to smash windows to escape as the fire started spreading to the ground floor.

"We count around 40 people who have died and around 115 injured, most of them seriously," Frederic Gisler, the local police commander, told reporters.

Parents of the young victims face an agonising wait as police said it would take "several days" to identify all of the victims due to the burns and injuries being so severe, he added.

Swiss president Guy Parmelin and officials from the canton of Valais, Mathias Reynard and Stephane Ganzer are breifed at the scene by police

Guy Parmelin, the Swiss president, described the fire as "one of the worst tragedies that our country has experienced" in that it "cut short many young lives".

Speaking on his first day in office, he said: "A moment of joy turned into a tragedy that has touched the whole of Switzerland and abroad" and many emergency staff had been "confronted by scenes of indescribable violence and distress".

An investigation into the cause of the fire is under way. However, police believe it was an accident and no arrests have been made.

The high-end Alpine resort of Crans-Montana, 25 miles north of the Matterhorn, is popular with tourists from Britain, France and Italy and often hosts celebrities.

In a message, King Charles said: "My wife and I were appalled, and greatly saddened, to learn of the devastating fire last night in Crans-Montana.

"It is utterly heartbreaking that a night of celebration for young people and families instead turned to such nightmarish tragedy," he added.

"While offering our admiration for the heroic first responders and the selfless emergency services, we wanted, above all, to convey our deepest possible sympathy to all those who have been so dreadfully affected by this horrific disaster."

The King was once a keen skier and knows the Alps well.

Police near the scene of the bar fire that killed at least 40

The French foreign ministry said nine French citizens figured among the injured, and eight others remained unaccounted for.

In a message on X, Emmanuel Macron, the French president, offered "France's full solidarity and fraternal support to Switzerland".

Antonio Tajani, Italy's foreign minister, said around 12 to 15 Italian citizens were taken to hospital and a further 16 were missing.

At least one Australian was injured in the blaze, a government official confirmed on Friday.

Police were on the scene two minutes after the fire broke out, it was reported.

Credit: via X

The streets became blocked with ambulances, helicopters hovered overhead and emergency services from neighbouring countries were deployed to help.

Emma and Albane, two French women, described seeing the barmaid lifted up close to the roof as she lit a sparkler that was atop a bottle.

The flames spread, collapsing the wooden ceiling, they told French broadcaster BFMTV.

They were among the first to escape the building as panic broke out. Minutes later, the fire had reached the ground floor.

Credit: TikTok / ladzdrie92i

Many of the victims are believed to have been trapped in the bar's basement level. Parents were seen rushing to the bar from around the town and beyond, to find their children.

Police said they did not know how many were in the bar at the time and were investigating whether the venue had exceeded the permitted limit on the number of customers.

The bar is owned by a French couple, according to a local business registry and friends of the owners. The wife was allegedly in the bar last night when the fire began.

Rescuers and fire-fighters work at the site of an explosion that ripped through a bar in Crans-Montana

Videos showed young people piling out of the venue as the fire spread, with the injured quickly blocking the exit. Shouts and screams were heard from inside as people tried to escape the approaching flames.

A witness, who was across the street at the time, described the scenes as a "horror movie".

"This is horrific. We are broken. How did this happen? I heard screaming after. People ran out everywhere and then fire engines came," they told The Telegraph.

Residents claim a gas leak was set off by the sparkler, making the situation "even worse".

Lighting sparklers in bottles in the cramped confines of the basement had even featured in a promotional video for the venue posted on social media previously.

Crans-Montana's local authority had banned fireworks and sparklers during the New Year's Eve celebrations over concerns that a lack of rain over the past month had left conditions dangerously dry.

Yet, at midnight, pyrotechnics exploded into the air across the ski resort, while a sparkler was lit inside a densely-packed basement, raising questions over whether the safety regulations were being enforced.

Credit: YouTube / Constellation Crans Montana

A resort bus driver told The Telegraph: "They're banned in a lot of clubs and they should never be allowed anywhere near crowded places. This is an absolute tragedy."

Stories also emerged of those who tried to save revellers but were unable to get inside.

One resident told The Telegraph: "Me and my friends tried to get in there as it was exploding. There were loud bangs and everything. We tried to get into a side entrance but there were people running out.

"We tried another and it was the same situation. People were covered in blood and dust."

The region has declared a period of mourning and flags across Switzerland will be flown at half-mast.

"This evening should have been a moment of celebration and coming together, but it turned into a nightmare," said Mathias Reynard, head of the regional government of the Valais canton.

Throughout the day, the families of the missing and other mourners gathered outside the scene, leaving floral tributes.

One young man told The Telegraph: "I had friends at the club. I left the flowers there for my friends and all the others. My heart is bleeding."

That's all for now. Here is a round-up of what we know:

  • At least 40 people have been killed and 115 injured after a fire broke out at a ski resort bar

  • The blaze erupted during New Year celebrations at Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, a luxury resort popular with British tourists

  • Witnesses say it the fire was caused by a sparkler on a champagne bottle that set fire to the roof of the basement

  • The fire, which authorities say was an 'accident', sparked a series of explosions

  • 'Many young people', mostly aged 16 to 24 people, were inside the bar at the time

  • People became trapped downstairs as a crowd of 200 people rushed up a narrow staircase

  • Local hospitals quickly became 'overwhelmed' with burn victims

  • The identities victims and their nationalities have not been released

  • Police said it would take 'several days' to identify the dead due to the severity of the burns

  • According to initial information, injured include two French and a dozen Italian citizens, with another 15 Italians missing

Officials don't know how many were in the bar

Officials do not know how many people were in Le Constellation when the fire broke out.

Police are investigating whether the venue had exceeded its permitted customer limit.

Mourners lay flowers at the scene

People leave flowers outside the

'Accident' caused fire and explosions

Speaking at the news conference, Stephane Ganzer, head of security in the Valais canton, said that the fire was an "accident" that produced several explosions.

No suspects have been identified and no one has been arrested, he confirmed.

Beatrice Pilloud, the Valais Canton attorney general, said before that the main assumption is that hat "the main and working assumption is that "general fire which caused conflagration".

"Expert analysis is taking place in order to determine the circumstances of this fire," she added.

'Many young people' were inside the bar, say police

Swiss police and officials are not yet confirming the nationalities of the victims, but said that "many young people" were inside the bar during the fire.

Earlier, we reported that most of the seriously injured victims were aged between 16 and 24, according to hospital officials.

What police know so far:

  • Smoke was noticed at 1.30am

  • Within seconds, a witness contacted police

  • A red alert mobilised emergency services

  • At 1.32am, the first police officers arrived, providing aid and taking victims to hospital

  • Firefighters put out the fire "quickly"

  • At 4.14am, a helpline was opened for families

  • Cause of the fire is still unknown

Swiss President Guy Parmelin (centre) at the scene of the fire in Crans-Montana

Could 'take several days' to identify victims, say police

A Swiss police official confirmed that around 40 people have been killed and 115 injured, most of them severely.

Frederic Gisler, the police chief for Valais Canton, called it an "unprecedented" tragedy and said it could take several days to identify the dead.

He added that there are several hypotheses on the table about the fire's cause and the favoured theory for now is a "general fire which caused conflagration".

"Because it is an international resort, we think that there are international victims," the police chief added.

'The fire is one of the worst tragedies in Swiss history'

The Swiss president called the fire "one of the worst tragedies our country has ever experienced".

He referred to the blaze as a "drama of unknown scale" that cut short many young lives.

"This event took place in a place that is dedicated to life and joy... what an incredible and dreadful contrast".

He reconfirmed that 100 people are injured and that most of the victims are youths.

Flags will be flown at half mast for five days, he added.

Swiss President Guy Parmelin attends a press conference to provide updates on the fire

Press conference underway

Swiss police and other officials are holding a second news conference following the New Year's Day fire.

Guy Parmelin, Switzerland's president, will be joined by other senior figures.

We will bring you all the key updates here.

Footage shows young people trapped inside the bar with the exit blocked

A video has emerged showing dozens of young people desperately trying to flee the bar as the flames engulf it.

The footage, which The Telegraph is choosing not to publish, shows the partygoers trapped inside a room full of fire and smoke as the exit is blocked by a large crowd of people.

Screams and shouts can be heard as people try to push through the masses. The staircase to the snow-covered ground is blocked with injured people, coughing and struggling to move.

Sixteen Italians reported missing after blaze

Sixteen Italians have been reported missing in the aftermath of the Crans-Montana fire, while around a dozen more Italian nationals are being treated in ‍hospital ‌following the blaze.

Antonio Tajani, the Italian foreign minister, described the situation as "chaotic". "I hope there are no [Italian] victims, but we cannot rule anything ‍out," he told Sky TG24 TV station,

Mr Tajani, ‍who has been in regular ​contact with ‍Swiss authorities, said ⁠the confirmed death ​toll stood at ‌47. He ⁠added ‍that the injured Italians had suffered severe burns.

'My heart is bleeding', says mourner

One devastated local arrived at the scene and broke down in tears.

He left floral tributes with the initials of local victims he knew and said the bar had been too overcrowded for him to enter.

He told The Telegraph: "I had friends at the club. I left the flowers there for my friends and all the others. My heart is bleeding.

"We almost went into Le Constellation, there were just too many people in the club. Had we not gone home we would have definitely got caught up in it.

"I had two friends who were in the club at the time… it could take another week to know. Inside is just unrecognisable… everything is charred".

"The fire happened in the underground and the fire came from the bottom and went to the main floor and then to the second floor. The glass was strong and people struggled to break through the glass.

"I woke up this morning and received over 50 messages from my friends and then I called other friends and some just aren't answering," he said.

Pictured: Police outside Le Constellation bar

Police at the scene outside Le Constellation bar

One of the bar owners 'suffered arm burns'

The owners of the bar are reported to be a French couple who have lived in the area for almost a decade.

The husband and wife are said to own three establishments in and around Crans-Montana including Le Constellation.

The wife was allegedly in the bar last night when the fire began while her husband was in another of their businesses, BFMTV reports.

She reportedly suffered burns on her arm and is in "complete shock".

People burnt 'from head to foot', says witness

An eyewitness told how he broke into the burning building fearing that his little brother was trapped inside.

"We heard a big explosion and after that we saw a lot of smoke," he said. "I thought that my little brother was inside so I came and I tried to break the window to help people to exit."

Speaking to BBC News, the man said that once he managed to get inside he saw people "burning from head to foot, no clothes anymore", adding: "It was very shocking."

The man tried to help where he could, offering water and clothes to the injured, including giving his jacket to a man with burn injuries.

"It's very disturbing because I went in this bar every day in the week... just the day I don't go, it burned," he said.

Crans-Montana and its VIP connections

Crans-Montana is in the Swiss Alps in the French-speaking part of the canton of Valais. It lies on a plateau above the city of Sierre, almost 5,000 feet above sea level.

The resort has attracted a long line-up of celebrities, including James Bond star Roger Moore who lived ‍there until ‌his death in 2017. Model Claudia Schiffer, actor Hugh Grant and former French President Nicolas Sarkozy have all passed through.

It hosts major events including the Omega European Masters golf tournament, which drew ‍more than 48,000 spectators in 2024, and the Alpine Ski World Cup, attended by 37,000 people.

Around three million people visit Crans-Montana every year, far more than its local population of 10,500.

Swiss travellers account for the majority of visitors (66 per cent), followed by France (7.3 per cent), Italy (3.7 per cent) and Britain (3.5 per cent).

The resort has 87 miles of ski slopes, ⁠mountain biking trails, hiking routes and championship golf ‍courses, according to its annual report.

Outside view of the scene of the blaze in the centre of Crans-Montana today

Most of the seriously injured aged 16 to 26

More than 100 injured people have been transported to hospitals across Switzerland.

Lausanne University Hospital said they have taken in 22 people so far. University Hospital Zurich is currently treating 12 patients. Both hospitals house Switzerland's specialist burns units.

Claire Charmet, director of Lausanne University Hospital, told Swiss newspaper 24 Heures that these patients are the "most serious cases".

She said: "These are young patients, averaging between 16 and 26 years old.

"There have been eight resuscitation procedures. They are being transferred from the Emergency Department to critical and specialised care.

"Now, we must be aware that this will be a long and intensive process, lasting several weeks, perhaps even months."

Ms Charmet said that all of the patients at the hospital had been identified, including those who were unconscious.

She said it is "too early to determine" whether any of the patients is at risk, saying the priority has been to "receive patients, identify them, connect them with their families, and ensure that the care process is working".

Pictured: Flowers laid at the scene

Flowers have started to be laid at the scene of the deadly blaze that is feared to have killed at least 40

Italian president conveys 'profound sympathy' to Switzerland

Italian president has expressed his condolences to the families and the victims of the New Year's Day fire in Switzerland.

Sergio Mattarella said: "It is with deep sadness that I learned of the explosion at the Crans-Montana ski resort and its tragic consequences," the president said in a message addressed to the president of the Swiss Federation, Guy Parmelin.

"My heartfelt thoughts go out to the families of the many victims, and I sincerely wish those injured a speedy recovery.

"In these sad circumstances, I would like to convey to you, Mr. President, the profound condolences and sympathy of the Italian Republic and myself personally."

Earlier deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, said 40 people had died in the blaze but warned it could take weeks to identify the victims.

Gian Lorenzo Cornado, the Italian ambassador to Bern, said around 50 family members had gathered in Crans-Montana because they had not heard from their loved ones.

Pictured: Firefighters remain at the scene

Firefighters work at the site of a fire at the Helicopters parked close to the scene

Police investigate whether the bar was overfilled

Police are investigating whether the bar, which videos show was densely packed, had exceeded the permitted limit on the number of customers.

Police have said more than 100 people were inside, whereas witnesses reported that it was nearer to 200 people.

Le Constellation's website suggests it is allowed 300 inside with 40 more on the terrace. It is not clear what the total capacity allowed in the low-ceiling basement was.

Earlier, we reported how those inside were forced to escape via a narrow staircase and door. It is feared that in the chaos, some were trapped below as the fire quickly spread upwrads to the ground floor.

People flee Le Constellation as it's engulfed in flames

Credit: via X

'Like a horror movie', says witness

A witness, who lives in the resort, described the locals feeling "broken" by the tragedy as they raised questions about how such a disaster happened.

Speaking to The Telegraph in Crans-Montana, they said: "This is horrific.

"We are broken. Apparently there were sparklers. They should be banned.

"How did this happen? I heard screaming after. People ran out everywhere and then fire engines came.

"It was like a horror movie. People are crying. It's a disaster."

Watch: Ambulances race to the scene this morning

Credit: TikTok / ladzdrie92i

Macron pledges 'France's fraternal support' to Switzerland

Emmanuel Macron, the French president, shared his "deep emotion" over the deadly blaze and pledged France's support.

"Deep emotion following the fire in Crans-Montana. My thoughts go to the bereaved families and the injured," he wrote on X.

"To Switzerland, to its people and to its authorities, I convey the full solidarity of France and our fraternal support."

Two French citizens are among the injured, according to initial reports from the French foreign ministry.

French tourists make up some 10 per cent of all visitors to the upmarket ski resort.

'Young people emerged covered in blood'

Michela Ris, the deputy mayor of the Swiss town of Ascona, was in Crans-Montana to celebrate New Year's Eve.

She described the fire as a "bloodbath" and told Swiss media she was still frantically searching for friends.

"Some acquaintances told me about young people leaving the bar covered in blood, some without their clothes. It was a real bloodbath," she told Swiss media.

"We have friends who are not responding to messages. Maybe they are just asleep, but we don't know if, after being at our house, they went straight home or if they went for one last drink, perhaps to the very club where the tragedy took place."

"We are very worried and are trying to contact everyone, one by one, to make sure they are okay. We are devastated," the mayor told Corriere del Ticino newspaper.

Promotional 2024 video shows bottle sparklers inside bar

Credit: YouTube / Constellation Crans Montana

It will take weeks to identify the dead, says Italian ambassador

It will take weeks to identify the dead, according to the Italian ambassador to Switzerland.

Gian Lorenzo Cornado, speaking from the scene, said the severity of the burns means the identification of the dead will be complex and lengthy.

Swiss police have still not released an official death toll, but have suggested around 40 people died, while most of the 100 injured are "seriously" hurt.

Telegraph readers respond to the 'unimaginable' tragedy

Flames spread in seconds, ceiling collapsed, crowd began smashing windows

Witnesses have described how quickly the fire tore through the crowded bar and the panic and screams as people scrambled to get out of the basement.

Two French women, who escaped from the club, said they saw a barman carrying a barmaid on his shoulders, who was holding a lit sparkler in a bottle which set fire to the wooden ceiling.

"In a matter of seconds, the entire nightclub was engulfed in flames," they told French broadcaster BFMTV. "We all ran out screaming and running ... It was complete panic."

In the crush of the crowd, they fell. "Someone broke a window so people could get out."

One of the women described a crowd surge as people frantically tried to escape from a basement nightclub up a narrow flight of stairs and through a narrow door.

Within minutes, the fire department and police arrived followed by helicopters and ambulances.

An archive photo of the narrow staircase to the basement of the bar which people became trapped in

Police release first images from inside bar

The upstairs of Le Constellation bar in the aftermath of the blaze said to have taken place in the basement Upturned chairs and tables are seen in the first pictures released from inside the scene

British tourist recalls 'very loud explosion'

A British tourist from London described hearing a "very loud explosion".

The man, who was staying in Crans-Montana, said there was many fireworks to celebrate the New Year, despite them being banned in the resort, "then at some point there was a very loud explosion".

"After that, I heard several ambulances," he told local outlet Blick.

Where did it happen?

Locals react to the tragedy in Crans-Montana

Locals fear the explosion was caused by fireworks or sparklers which are strictly banned in a lot of Swiss bars and clubs.

Commuters coming into the town are breaking down in tears due to the horror of what has happened and locals expect the town to be in a "state of mourning" for days to come.

One bus driver told the Telegraph: "We think it's firecrackers or fireworks. They're banned in a lot of clubs and they should never be allowed anywhere near crowded places. This is an absolute tragedy."

Other witnesses have said the fire was caused by a sparkler in a champagne bottle being held too close to the ceiling.

A Crans-Montana resident said: "I heard a number of massive bangs which sounded like bombs going off. It was crazy.

"I live nearby. My heart felt like it jumped out of me. It was pounding.

"I live hundreds of yards from the bar. I heard screaming and screaming and people running.

"We will be in mourning for days. We will never get over this. How did it happen?"

Sparkler-lit champagne bottle held too close to roof caused fire, says witness

A young French woman who witnesses the fire start said that the fire broke out when a woman, carried on another's shoulders, held a sparkler in a champagne bottle too close to the ceiling.

The witness, who gave her name as Victoria, told French channel BFMTV, that the woman was shaking the bottle and the flames quickly spread.

Victoria, along with her friends, managed to escape the bar and alert the bouncers outside to the fire.

Pictured: Inside the Constellation bar before the fire

Le Constellation, a bar in the centre of the Alpine resort of Crans-Montana and now the scene of a deadly fire, has been around for close to 40 years.

The downstairs is an open bar, where people dance and drink, known for being popular amongst young Swiss people and tourists.

A punter last year wrote a review saying it was the "best place to celebrate New Year's Eve" in the town.

Inside the downstairs of the Le Constellation bar and lounge

UK not approached yet, says embassy

The UK embassy in the Swiss capital of Bern said it has not been approached yet for assistance, but said that "nationals from multiple countries" are likely affected.

"Swiss emergency services are responding to a fire in Crans-Montana, with nationals from multiple countries likely affected. We continue to monitor the situation," it wrote on X.

"Whilst we have not been approached for assistance, our staff stand ready to support British nationals abroad 24/7."

A UK Foreign Office spokesman said: "Our thoughts are with all those injured and killed in the terrible tragedy in Crans-Montana, and we pay tribute to the Swiss emergency services who are leading the response.

"We will continue to monitor the situation, and our consular staff stand ready to support any British nationals who may be affected."

The Telegraph understands that the FCDO has not yet received any requests for consular assistance from those affected or their families.

Swiss emergency services are responding to a fire in Crans-Montana, with nationals from multiple countries likely affected. We continue to monitor the situation. Whilst we have not been approached for assistance, our staff stand ready to support British nationals abroad 24/7.If…

— UK in Switzerland 🇬🇧🇨🇭🇱🇮 (@UKEmbassyBerne)January 1, 2026

Sparkler in a champagne bottle caused fire, say witnesses

Witnesses believe the fire was started by a sparkler that was put into a champagne bottle in the basement of a nightclub.

"Some of the bottles were near the ceiling and it caught fire. The whole ceiling was in flames and the fire spread really fast. It happened in seconds. We ran outside, screaming and crying," Emma, who declined to give her surname, told French news channel BFM.

She added that most of the 200 people she estimated were on the premises were aged between 15 and 20.

"I saw a young man writhing in agony on the floor. His body and his hair were badly burned and half of his face had gone. I think he must have died," she said.

Another witness, Albane, described how people were panicking and quickly scrambling for the exit. "It was packed with people when the fire started," she said. "It was clearly accidental."

She also said she saw the ceiling catch fire after sparkler was lit in a bottle on a high table.

At least 40 dead presumed dead, Italy says

Swiss police believe there are at least 40 dead and 100 injured, the Italian foreign ministry said.

Local authorities have not yet confirmed an exact figure, but said "several dozens" are presumed dead at this morning's press conference.

The Italian foreign ministry added that many of the victims "cannot be identified due to the severe burns they sustained".

The Italian ambassador to Switzerland and the Italian consul general in Geneva are on their way to Crans-Montana.

A crisis unit for Italian victims and their families has been set up in Rome.

Foreign tourists expected to be among the dead

Officials expect that foreign tourists may be among the dead and injured, Swiss officials said during the earlier press conference.

Crans-Montana is a fashionable ski resort in the Valais region of Switzerland, 25 miles north of the Matterhorn, one of the most famous Alpine peaks, and 80 miles south of Zurich

It is set to host the FIS World Cup for skiing at the end of January and was known to be popular with British tourists.

Pictured: Police inspect the area surrounding the bar

Police officers inspect the area where a fire broke out at the Le Constellation bar and lounge on New Year's Day The whole area has been cordoned off and a no-fly zone declared

'Terrible tragedy' caused by fire, not explosion

Stéphane Ganzer, a member of the Valais local government, said it was not an explosion that started a fire, as initially reported, but that a fire quickly erupted, causing "the whole building to go up in flames suddenly".

Describing the incident as a "terrible tragedy", he said a state of exceptional alert had been declared in the Valais.

Victims feared to have been trapped in basement

It's not clear where the fire started, but local media reported that the explosion occurred in the basement of the bar and a fire broke out on the ground floor.

Victims were believed to have been trapped inside the bar with reports suggesting there were not enough emergency exits, local outlet Blick reported.

The exact number of fatalities is still unknown and no information has been given on their identities. "It's too early for that," authorities said.

Cause of the fire still undetermined

Swiss police said its too early to establish the cause of the fire.

The Swiss public prosecutor's office is investigating the incident as arson.

A terror attack is currently being ruled out.

A source in the emergency services described the incident as a "major catastrophe", with local outlet Blick claiming that pyrotechnics could have been involved, citing "unconfirmed reports".

Here's what we know so far:

  • Dozens of people are presumed dead after a fire broke out at a ski resort bar

  • The blaze erupted during New Year celebrations at Le Constellation Bar and Lounge in Crans-Montana

  • More than 100 people were believed to be inside the venue at the time, which is popular with British tourists

  • The majority of those that are injured are seriously injured

  • Local media believes it was caused by pyrotechnics during a concert

  • Hospitals nearby are 'overwhelmed' with burn victims

  • The area has been completely closed off and no-fly zone in place

  • The victims have not been identified yet

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At least 40 killed after fire tears through Swiss ski bar

A fire tore through a Swiss ski resort bar as young revellers welcomed in the new year, killing at least 40 people and injuring 115. Fore...

 

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