'Several dozen dead' following New Year's Eve fire at Swiss ski resort

During a press conference on Thursday morning, Frédéric Gisler, commander of the Valais cantonal police, confirmed that "100 or so" people were injured after the fire took hold at Le Constellation bar in Switzerland.

He said the majority of those are said to be "seriously injured", with "several dozen" people confirmed dead - however, he failed to provide exact numbers.

The fire took hold at the bar in the popular ski town of Crans-Montana, Switzerland, shortly after 01:30 (00:30 GMT) on New Year's Day.

"Numerous" police, fire and rescue services responded to the incident, with 10 helicopters and 40 ambulances mobilised in the wake of the fire.

The local Valais hospital intensive care unit is currently at capacity, authorities confirmed, with patients being transferred to other nearby hospitals in a bid to deal with the high number of injuries.

During the press conference, authorities confirmed that the majority of patients had sustained burns injuries.

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Two French nationals have been confirmed to be among the injured.

The mass casualty event has led authorities to urge the public not to undertake activities that could see them

"Some of the injured people have been transferred to other university hospitals around Switzerland," he said.

"Some of the casualties are currently being stabilised in intensive care and will be transferred to other university hospitals for treatment of major injuries."

It has led authorities to urge the public not to undertake risky activities that could further burden local health services.

Local police initially said "we are seeing many injured and many dead" following the explosion, which took place at a popular local bar called La Constellation.

Switzerland's federal president postponed his New Year's address in the wake of the fire, with Guy Parmelin expressing his "profound dismay" at the loss following the blaze.

100 people were initially believed to have been in the building at the time of the blast - a figure that has since been updated by authorities.

Footage circulating on social media appears to show a large fire burning at the bar, with crowds fleeing the scene, with images showing a wall of flames being tackled by emergency services at the scene.

Speaking to local media, a source in the emergency services described the incident as a “major catastrophe”.

It is not yet known whether British tourists are caught up in the tragedy, with police confirming that "many" individuals have been impacted by the blast.

A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said: "Our thoughts are with all those injured and killed in the terrible tragedy in Crans-Montana, and we pay tribute to the Swiss emergency services who are leading the response.

"We will continue to monitor the situation, and our consular staff stand ready to support any British nationals who may be affected."

It confirmed that Swiss authorities had not yet been in contact regarding any of the victims.

Authorities added that some of the victims are from other countries, without going into further details of the victims' nationalities.

Swiss authorities also confirmed that the incident is being treated as a fire and not an attack.

"We are seeing many injured and many dead," Gaetan Lathion said.

"We're just at the beginning of our investigation, but this is an internationally renowned ski resort with lots of tourists."

The area around the bar in Crans-Montana, located two hours south of the capital Bern, remains cordoned off, with a no-fly zone currently in place.

According to locals, the Constellation Bar could hold up to 300 people and featured a small outdoor terrace.

The number of attendees on New Year's Eve is yet to be confirmed, with fears that the number of injured is set to grow.

It comes as doctors told Swiss national broadcaster RTS that hospitals in the region are now "overwhelmed with burn victims".

A helpline for those affected by the fire has now been set up, police said, with concerned relatives urged to call +41 848 112 117.

Crans-Montana is a ski resort popular among holidaymakers and professionals alike, boasting 87 miles of trails.

It comes as the town is due to host the FIS World Cup skiing event at the end of January.