Swiss alps: The toll of Thursday's explosion at a ski resort in southwestern Switzerland's Alps is 40 people killed and 115 injured, many critically, Swiss authorities have said.
According to Qatar News Agency, Frederick Gisler, head of police in the Valais canton, stated that authorities are still verifying the identities of the victims amid the scale of the disaster. The explosion has been described as one of the worst tragedies the country has experienced. President Guy Parmelin noted that what was meant to be a period of New Year celebrations has now turned into a time of national mourning.
Officials have confirmed that a fire caused the blast and have ruled out any deliberate attack. Stefan Ganzer, Valais security adviser, indicated that the explosion was significant enough to destroy part of the resort.
The number of casualties exceeded the capacity of the main Valais hospital, leading to the transfer of patients to hospitals in Zurich, Lausanne, Geneva, and even France. There were at least nine French nationals injured, with eight others missing, and three were hospitalized in Lyon and Paris, as reported by the French Foreign Ministry.
Furthermore, about 15 Italians sustained injuries, with a similar number reported missing, according to Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. Investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the fire.