Switzerland's "Stardust" tragedy

CelticRambler

Surprised at how little mention there's been of the horrific NYE fire in the Swiss ski resort Crans-Montana. 40 people dead (of which only 24 have so far been identified), 120 injured, the burns units in Swiss hospitals so overwhelmed patients have been sent to five neighbouring countries.

The presumptive cause - party candles setting fire to the ceiling of a bar/club, then panic and a rush for the exits (not the first time indoor fireworks have caused such a catastrophic incident in recent years).

I still remember coming home from school at lunchtime on that day back in '81, hearing the news on the radio as the full devastation of the Stardust fire became known. It was the topic of conversation for days, weeks afterwards ; and here we are now, same thing all over again … but peole are more interested in the antics of a senile old git in America than the fate of nearly 200 young Europeans.

RTE's brief nod to the event: https://www.rte.ie/news/world/2026/0104/1551391-switzerland-fire-crans-montana/

Reuters' more detailed account: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/stunned-swiss-alpine-resort-seeks-solace-together-after-deadly-bar-fire-2026-01-04/

yagan

Were the fire exits in the Swiss venue padlocked like with the Stardust?

The clips I saw were wild, people with their phones out still bopping away while recording the fire on the ceiling spreading.

It's like people who probably were firedrilled in school not being able to recognise what a fire looks like.

gipi

The Irish Times has covered the tragedy since Thursday, here's the latest from yesterday.

https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/2026/01/03/swiss-prosecutors-place-bar-managers-under-criminal-investigation-after-deadly-fire/

pjohnson

It looks like the managers are going to get what they deserve.

I've no idea how staff didn't realise what was going on was madness, the footage is insane.

A Dub in Glasgo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124115794#Comment_124115794

Were the fire exits in the Swiss venue padlocked like with the Stardust?

There was only one exit up the stairs and it was not locked. The main problem was it was not wide enough to quickly evacuate the hundreds in the basement. I will not be surprised if some of the people died from a crush at the exit.

pjohnson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124115816#Comment_124115816

Thats been disproven - theres more than one exit according to its license. Whether other exits were locked or not is unknown.

893bet

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058430654/switzerland-039-s-stardust-tragedy

I don’t understand your angle at all.

1. The fire is a local event only. Local tragedy like this happen so many times every day that it wouldn’t be possible to report on them all. In this case 50 families have been devastated. Not to minimise the event. It got more air time than most tragedy as it impacted tourists.
   
2. The actions of a senile old got in America’s impacts the world….and has the potential impacts millions and millions of people.
   

Slightly more important from a global perspective.

yagan

Although there's been coverage of the tragedy in our media I guess the fact that it's outside the anglosphere (yes I know, English is widely spoken in parts in Switzerland) means debate and discussion material isn't as widely available as it is when a similar tragedy happens in an English speaking country.

893bet

A thing that stands out to me is how stupid/naive some of the patrons are. Dancing and filming while it burns near them inside.

As a society we are so molly coddled and live under the assumption that “someone else will sort that and is responsible for my safety”.

Diddly Squat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124115805#Comment_124115805

Its not like they intentionally killed them, justice for revenge is not good for anyone, maybe wait until a full investigation has been carried out before dusting off the pitchforks

magicbastarder

Of course the fire is a major tragedy, and it's been well covered in the press. But what would people have to discuss about it on here? The 'antics of a senile old git in America' have far more avenues of discussion and debate and affect geopolitics with speculation about where it might lead, underlying motivations etc.

The fire and deaths don't create such debate but that does not mean people don't care.

Kaisr Sose

Surprised at how little mention there's been of the horrific NYE fire in the Swiss ski resort Crans-Montana.

My smpathies to all affected. What happened is just tragic. It was covered on RTE, and discussed on Drive Time on 2 Jan.

It will only stay 'headline' news here for a few days while syndicate news is available from the scene and again if there are convictions.

Cordell

Almost an exact copy of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colectiv_nightclub_fire

Highly flammable soundproofing foam ignited by fireworks.

Benedict XVI

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058430654/switzerland-039-s-stardust-tragedy

I still remember coming home from school at lunchtime on that day back in '81, hearing the news on the radio as the full devastation of the Stardust fire became known.

You were at school on a Saturday in 1981 ?

fergiesfolly

Given the ages I've seen mentioned, some as young as 14, I'm not surprised that the cameras came out before survival instinct kicked in.

The management had a low ceiling basement , with a single stairwell for evacuation, full of young people who were let run around with open flames on top of alcoholic beverages.

Anyone looking at that would've taken a minute to think about the health and safety of their patrons. Or maybe anyone except someone running a nite club in a town with a short tourist season and limited opportunity to maximize profits.

A Dub in Glasgo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124116204#Comment_124116204

Well spotted

cj maxx

The thread title is apt . The first thing I thought of was cramming people into a space for money

yagan

Aside from the initial casual response to a spreading fire is how on earth in a supposedly super regulated nation like Switzerland that such flammable material as that sound damping foam was allowed to be applied to the ceiling.

Benedict XVI

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124116296#Comment_124116296

I really don't know how myself and millions of other people survived our nightclub nights in the late 80s and 1990s.

Rooms jammed with people, dark, loud, narrow hallways to exits, half of the people smoking.

None of us had a clue where the emergency exit might be.

cj maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124116366#Comment_124116366

I know, been there and done that . And when I think back to those times I should have kept my money .

CelticRambler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124115831#Comment_124115831

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124115856#Comment_124115856

 what would people have to discuss about it on here

When did the boards.ie membership ever decline the opportunity to discuss anything, even with no particular reason ? :D

I think @yagan 's point about the anglosphere is spot on. The Bondi beach shooting was (to be rather callous about it) only a third as deadly as this fire, yet there are 31 pages of discussion about it. There's even been a thread started the other day about house fires in general and what to do about them.

Even if the Irish are not that into the whole skiing thing, I'd say there's still a fair few of the younger generation who'd find themselves in an après-ski environment from time to time, and would be drawn to this kind of place for the continental vibe and the great craic.

pjohnson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124115854#Comment_124115854

I mean unless every staff member went rogue with the sparklers it was "planned" fun. The co-owner was in the place (no surprise she got out with minor burns), it was utter negligence mixed with mind numbing stupidity.

Strazdas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124116243#Comment_124116243

I don't think a death trap like that would be even allowed to open in many European countries, certainly not in Ireland. The complete absence of any emergency exits is probably the most striking thing about the disaster.

Manic Moran

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124116204#Comment_124116204

Saturday school, particularly for vocational or language type skills, was more of a thing back then. A possibility.

Pauliedragon

I used to manage a large pub/nightclub over in Sydney and we used to get regular inspections from cops who used to count the number of people in the place to make sure it wasn't over the limit that was allowed under the license. I got done once for being 20 people over and the owner decided to fight the breach. The barrister who was defending the pub said to me the worst thing to ever get charged with is overcrowding because it's seen as putting peoples lives in danger. I don't know how the system works in Switzerland but from the photos look like it was well overcrowded. I was in Cork city last year on the jazz weekend in a well known pub and it took me 40 minutes to get from the front door to the bar which is about 30 metres. We need to seriously look at how we cram people into our bars.

Ozymandius2011

Obvious echoes of the Stardust tragedy.

Diddly Squat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124116763#Comment_124116763

Fortunately for many, stupidity isnt illegal.

martingriff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124115824#Comment_124115824

1. How many "local events" have been discussed here in boards?
2. More stuff happening in the world then Trump and people can have an opinion on more then 1 thing at the time.

893bet

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124117415#Comment_124117415

I was responding the the opening post which you clearly have not read.

Trying to explain why, there is more coverage of certain events, and more discussion of certain events over this one; which is an isolated event in a single town.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124116852#Comment_124116852

Officially numbers are dictated by the numbers you can safely exit but live inspections don't happen in my experience except foe nightclubs. It's really not an issue in your average Irish pub even during the Jazz Festival.

The fires ability to spread is the most important thing and most people would now assume that a fire won't spread fast which 99% of the time is true. You would wonder about the suitability and legality of that ceiling.

Looking at the videos any time I have ever cleared a pub/club it would be lights off party over instantly which didn't seem to happen. There appears to be little or no reaction from management.

Foggy Jew

Any of us Dubs here of a certain age will surely remember the nightclubs in Leeson Street. All of them below ground in basements. Pre-Stardust, only one entry/exit. Cheap wine being sold at extortionate prices, people happy to pay. At least 40% of the patrons smoking. How more tragedies didn’t happen is nothing short of miraculous. Those poor victims in Switzerland. May they rest in peace.