Director of Swiss hospital describes the rush to treat the injured from Alpine resort bar fire

SION, Switzerland (AP) — The hospital that initially took in the majority of injured victims from a fire at a Swiss bar is no stranger to emergencies: In the heart of the Alps, it is used to treating winter sports enthusiasts who have accidents on the slopes.

But the flood of young and severely burned survivors from the blaze that tore through Le Constellation in Crans-Montana during New Year's Eve revelry was something else.

Eric Bonvin, general director of the regional hospital in Sion that took in several dozen injured people, said those with severe burns face months of treatment but expressed hope that their youth will speed their recovery.

The injured were teenagers and young adults, roughly 20 years old on average, he told The Associated Press inside the hospital, which is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the resort by air. Survivors have described seeing their fellow revelers struggling to escape the inferno, some with severe burns.

Bonvin recounted how hospital staff scrambled to determine the extent of people’s injuries — aided by colleagues who had not been scheduled to work but rushed in to lend a hand.

“It’s a very particular situation because at the beginning burns are not necessarily apparent, the nerve endings are burnt so feelings are lost and the person is most of all in a state of shock,” he said. “At those moments, every minute counts.”

Injured survivors suffered burns to varying degrees, not just to their skin but also to their airways.

“There were inhalations of both smoke and also of heat that for some probably led to internal burns. That’s a really catastrophic situation, as you can imagine,” Bonvin said.

The hospital was well staffed, despite the holiday, because the end of year festivities are so busy in the Alpine Valais region, attracting crowds to its mountains but also leading to ski accidents and other medical emergencies.

“Our population doubles in a week,” he said. “Every year it's a period of intense stress for our emergency unit."

But “many people (staffers) came spontaneously, even those who were on holiday or having a night out,” he said. “That worked well.”

Still the hospital, which doesn’t have a specialized burn unit, quickly hit full capacity, authorities said, as the hospital took in about 80 seriously injured people in just three hours, straining intensive care facilities. All of the hospital’s surgical operating rooms were opened.

As of Friday, the hospital still had about 30 seriously injured patients in its care — after many were transferred to other hospitals.

Some medical workers treated the injured without knowing whether their loved ones might be among them.

“It was hard to live through for everyone. Also probably because everyone was asking themselves, ‘Was my child, my cousin, someone from the region at this party?’ This place was very well known as somewhere to celebrate the new year,” Bonvin said. “Also, seeing young people arrive — that’s always traumatic.”

The road to recovery for the gravely injured will likely be long and arduous, he cautioned.

“For those with serious burns, intensive care treatment lasts several months,” he said.

“But it’s not without hope,” he added. “They are young and that means they still have a lot of vitality.”

CORRECTS CITY TO SION - Eric Bonvin, director of the Hospital du Valais, attends a press conference in Sion, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP)

People bring flowers near the sealed off Le Constellation bar, where a devastating fire left dead and injured during the New Year's celebrations in Crans-Montana, Swiss Alps, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/ Antonio Calanni)

People mourn behind flowers and letters near the sealed off Le Constellation bar, where a devastating fire left dead and injured during the New Year's celebrations in Crans-Montana, Swiss Alps, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/ Antonio Calanni)

People lay candles and flowers near the Le Constellation bar, where a devastating fire left dead and injured during the New Year's celebrations in Crans-Montana, Swiss Alps, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/ Antonio Calanni)

People bring flowers and candles near the sealed off Le Constellation bar, where a devastating fire left dead and injured during the New Year's celebrations in Crans-Montana, Swiss Alps, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/ Antonio Calanni)

A helicopter takes off from the Hotel du Valais hospital in Sion, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, following the fire at the "Le Constellation" bar and lounge in Crans-Montana, during the New Year celebration. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

Two men walk outside a hospital as a helicopter takes off in Sion, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, following the fire at the "Le Constellation" bar and lounge in Crans-Montana, Switzerland during the New Year celebration. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

Sweden picked Jesper Wallstedt and Filip Gustavsson of the Minnesota Wild and Jacob Markstrom of the New Jersey Devils as its goaltenders for the Winter Olympics.

Coach Sam Hallam unveiled the country’s 25-player roster on Friday, with a handful of changes from the 4 Nations Face-Off early last year, when Sweden did not lose any of its games in regulation. Gone are goalies Linus Ullmark and Samuel Ersson, defenseman Mattias Ekholm and forward Viktor Arvidsson.

Among the new faces are Gabriel Landeskog, Philip Broberg, Pontus Holmberg and Alex Wennberg. Landeskog, who returned to hockey last spring after missing two full seasons because of a chronic knee injury, is one of just a few players on any team who participated in the Sochi Olympics in 2014.

Victor Hedman, a notable snub 12 years ago, is on injured reserve after undergoing elbow surgery, though the Tampa Bay Lightning expect their captain to return before the Olympic break begins in February. Hedman was among the first six players Sweden named to its roster in June.

AP Olympic coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

New Jersey Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom (25) clears the puck as Toronto Maple Leafs centre Max Domi (11) gives chase during second period NHL hockey action in Toronto on Tuesday Dec. 30, 2025. T(Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt (30) stops a shot during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the San Jose Sharks, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)