A survivor of the deadly fire at a ski resort bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, recounted the tragedy that killed about 40 people on New Year's Day.
The number of injured has risen to 119 and 113 of them have been identified, police said at a news conference on Friday afternoon.
"When I saw the fire start on the ceiling, I went under the bar, on the right-hand side. There's a board there, and I couldn't lift it at the time. I crawled under the board. I took a small bottle of water from the mini fridge and threw it at the ceiling," said the survivor.
The survivor confirmed that he saw what caused the fire.
"Yes, a bottle of champagne with one of the small fireworks on it set fire to the ceiling, which had insulating foam on it," he said.
At the press conference on Friday afternoon, Valais Canton Attorney General Beatrice Pilloud said the sparklers attached to the champagne bottles were assumed to be one of the causes of the fire.
Swiss authorities said the death toll is expected to rise in the coming days.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, President of the Swiss Confederation Guy Parmelin said the fire was one of the worst tragedies in the country's history.
Survivor recalls harrowing moments of Swiss bar fire
President of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Lee Jae Myung said on Wednesday that his country and China can build a mutually beneficial relationship amidst competitions.
At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Lee will pay a state visit to China from Jan 4 to 7. It will be Lee's first visit to China since he took office in June 2025.
In an interview with the China Media Group (CMG) in Seoul, capital of the ROK, on Wednesday, Lee said that the ROK and China both place great importance on the development of high-tech fields, and this inevitably creates competitions between the two countries, but will also presents ample cooperation opportunities for both sides.
"To my knowledge, the Chinese government has made tremendous efforts in high-tech investment, research and development investment, and the talent cultivation in the field of basic research, just as the ROK has done. From this perspective, the ROK and China share similarities in economic growth strategies, which certainly creates competitions between the two countries, but it also presents broad cooperation opportunities for both sides. I believe that if we can explore areas for cooperation amid competitions and enhance our respective strengths through cooperation, we can build a mutually beneficial relationship that not only supports China's sustainable development strategy but also promotes ROK's growth strategy," Lee said.
ROK president eyes mutually beneficial relationship with China amid competitions
