Zurich, Jan 3 || Around 40 people are believed to have died in a bar fire that broke out in southwestern Switzerland, with the number of injured rising to 119, police said at a news conference.
Among the injured, the identities of 113 people have been confirmed. But some European countries still reported missing nationals in the fire, which broke out overnight at "Le Constellation" bar in the Crans-Montana ski resort in Valais Canton.
Swiss authorities said the death toll is expected to rise in the coming days.
Stephane Ganzer, a regional health and safety official, told the French radio station RTL that 80 to 100 of the injured are in a critical condition, with many likely to die from severe burns.
The alarm was raised at the bar at around 1:30 a.m. on Thursday local time, minutes after the fire broke out. A total of 41 ambulances, 13 helicopters, and more than 150 medical personnel were deployed to the scene, local police said.