We could have been dead, young people say after fire at party in Swiss bar

Around 40 people died and 115 were injured in a deadly New Year’s Eve bar fire in Sion, Switzerland, shocking local youth who said they realized how close they came to danger. Swiss authorities are investigating, but the blaze appears accidental.

Reuters

2 January 2026 at 10:40:39

Swiss youth reflect on deadly Sion ski resort fire that killed 40, calling it a ‘shocking reality check’.

Reuters

Young people in the Swiss town of Sion described the deadly fire at a ski resort bar as "shocking" and a "reality check" on Friday (January 2), saying it made them realize how close they were to danger.

"It's so close to us that we might have gone there," said 18-year-old U.S. student Eloan Atiso.

"One of the places you go to," added Sony Obomwo, 18, another U.S. student on holiday.

The fire, which broke out at a crowded New Year's Eve party on Thursday (January 1), killed around 40 people and injured 115.

Lennie Sautier, 20, said she still has not heard from her best friend.

From the early hours of Friday morning, police secured the area near the bar with barricade tape, barriers, and tents.

The cause of the blaze remains unclear. Swiss authorities said it appeared to be an accident rather than a deliberate attack.

-Production: Horaci Garcia, Noemi Olive, Michaela Cabrera, Marta Fiorin/Reuters

Swiss town of Sion reels after deadly New Year’s Eve bar fire kills around 40 and injures over 100, leaving young locals and tourists in shock as authorities investigate the cause.