American Marconi Wireless News - Deadly fire ravages New Year celebration in bar at luxury Swiss ski resort

Police, firefighters and rescuers rushed to the popular resort, one of the top-ranked ski destinations in Europe, with Swiss media reporting the toll could soar into the dozens.

The "fire of undetermined origin" broke out in a bar popular with tourists, police in the Wallis canton in southwestern Switzerland said in a statement.

A police spokesman named the bar as Le Constellation, which has a capacity of 300 people and another 40 people on its terrace, according to the Crans-Montana website.

The spokesman said some 100 people had gathered there for New Year celebrations.

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

"Several people lost their lives and others were injured," the police statement said, describing the incident as "serious" and adding that "a major emergency response is underway".

"A large contingent of police, firefighters, and rescue workers immediately went to the scene to assist the numerous victims," it said.

"The operation is still ongoing."

Ambulances were still parked outside the bar hours later, and broken windows could be seen. Local media described a "smell of burning still in the air".

Swiss daily Blick cited a doctor at the scene suggesting that the death toll could be in the "dozens".

Regional daily Le Nouvelliste also said its sources were describing "a heavy toll", with "around 40 dead and 100 injured".

Swiss media suggested that the fire may have started when pyrotechnics were used during a concert, but police siad the cause was unkown.

Police spokesman Gaetan Lathion told AFP earlier there had first been an "explosion of unknown origin" at around 1:30 am (0030 GMT) at Le Constellation.

Police said the areas was "completely closed to the public", and that "a no-fly zone over Crans Montana has been imposed".

"The party was in full swing... music and champagne flowing freely," a resident who said they lived nearby told 24 heures, a Lausanne newspaper.

But as news of the fire broke, they said, the carefree mood vanished and people began gathering in the street. "We could hear the sirens in the distance. Around me, people were stunned, worried, silent."

"We heard helicopters all night long," another neighbour told 24 heures.

"With the fireworks, we didn't understand what was going on at first. Then we saw the smoke. It's terrible, a lot of young people go to that bar."

P.Santos--AMWN