Il Nuovo Postiglione - Dozens killed in fire at Swiss ski resort New Year party

Horrified bystanders described "panic" as people tried to break through the windows of the bar to escape, and others, covered in burns, poured into the street.

Police, firefighters and rescuers rushed to the popular resort, which is set to host the Ski World Cup from January 30, after the fire broke out in the early hours of New Year's Day.

Frederic Gisler, police commander in the Wallis canton in southwestern Switzerland, told reporters that authorities had counted "around 40 people who have died and around 115 injured, most of them seriously".

Guy Parmelin, who took over the Swiss presidency on Thursday, told reporters the fire was "one of the worst tragedies that our country has experienced".

Alexis Laguerre, an 18-year-old, had been walking with a group of friends past the Le Constellation bar, a popular spot with young people and tourists, when they noticed smoke and flames emerging from the venue and called the police. "I am in shock," told Swiss public broadcaster RTS.

"People were running through the flames. People were using chairs to try to break the windows."

Two young French women, Emma and Albane, told French broadcaster BFMTV that they had been able to escape the "panic" in the bar shortly after the fire broke out.

They said "birthday candles" placed on champagne bottles had got too close to the ceiling.

"Seconds later, the entire ceiling was burning," one of them told the broadcaster, estimating that there were around 200 people in the venue at the time, mainly aged between 15 and 20.

- local hospital full -

A tourist from New York, who filmed bright orange flames pouring from the bar, told AFP he saw people running and screaming.

Authorities said they were still investigating the causes of the fire, which erupted shortly before 1:30 am (0030 GMT), but said they did not believe it had been caused by an "attack".

The emergency unit at the main hospital in the Wallis was full, with the injured being transported to various hospitals across Switzerland.

More than a dozen victims had been transported to the Zurich University Hospital in northern Switzerland, while at least 22 people suffering from serious burns had been taken to the main hospital in Lausanne, and six had been taken to Geneva, Switzerland's Keystone-ATS news agency reported.

The European Union said it has been in contact with Swiss authorities about providing medical assistance.

Swiss authorities said investigations were underway to identify the victims, but acknowledged that given Crans-Montana's popularity with tourists around the world, they expected a number of foreign nationals to be among the dead.

- Rush to identify victims -

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told Italian broadcaster Rete4 that around 15 Italians had been injured in the fire, and a similar number remained missing.

At least two French citizens were among the injured, according to initial reports from the French foreign ministry.

Le Constellation has a capacity of 300 people, plus another 40 people on its terrace, according to the Crans-Montana website.

The bar is owned by a French couple, according to a local business registry and friends of the owners.

Ambulances were still parked outside the bar hours later, and broken windows could be seen.

Wallis's chief prosecutor Beatrice Pilloud said that significant resources were being mobilised "to identify the victims and return their bodies as quickly as possible to the families".

- 'Screaming for help' -

Early reports had suggested a large explosion might have caused the fire.

But Stephane Ganzer, head of Wallis's security department, said that "the initial investigation shows the explosion was in fact a consequence of the fire".

"There is absolutely no question of a terrorist attack," stressed Pilloud, the prosecutor.

Alex, 21, meanwhile told RTS that he had arrived at the scene shortly after a loud explosion sounded.

Then he said he remembered that there was only a narrow set of stairs up from a large basement locale in the building, and worried dozens might remain trapped.

"That sent shivers down my spine," he said.

Q.Bernardi--INP