A haunting new photo captured the moment lit sparklers attached to champagne bottles ignited the ceiling at the Le Constellation nightclub in Switzerland — starting the horrific New Year’s Eve fire that left at least 40 dead and more than 100 seriously hurt.
The photo, verified by the BBC, shows flames beginning to spread over the low ceiling as unsuspecting revelers waved their sparklers and bottles high in the air at the doomed nightclub, located at the Crans-Montana ski resort in the heart of the Swiss Alps.
Another image shows a woman in a crash helmet holding up lit bottles while being carried back on the shoulder of a masked man.
Witnesses who were in the club that night have said that the sparklers were responsible for the deadly blaze, however Swiss authorities have not officially determined the cause.
“It was firework candles inside a champagne bottle that caused the explosion. The entire ceiling of the bar caught fire,” one witness, who gave her names as Victoria, told French broadcaster BFMTV.
The fire spread quickly through the bar, which holds up to 300 people, and within seconds, it was impossible to breathe.
Eyewitness Bastien Frema, 20, described the horror to The Sun.
“People were screaming. I saw people with burnt clothing shredded, hanging off them,” she said. “People were yelling, trying to get help. We couldn’t do anything.”
One 18-year-old, who did not want to give his name, told the BBC he entered the bar during the fire to search for his little brother — who he later learned was not harmed.
“I saw people burning… I found people burning from head to foot, no clothes anymore,” he said.
The initial blaze in the bar triggered what firefighters refer to as a “flashover,” when all the combustible material in a room ignites at once, triggering multiple explosions, Swiss authorities said.
Authorities are now working to identify the victims, many of whom are believed to be foreign tourists visiting the popular resort.
The burns suffered by the mostly young crowd were so severe Swiss officials said it could take days before they identify all the victims.
Mathias Reynard, head of government of the canton of Valais, said experts were using dental and DNA samples.
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