Ex-detective despairs at 'appallingly high' death toll as dozens are killed in ski resort bar explosion: 'A tragic incident'

A devastating explosion at a popular Swiss ski resort bar in Crans-Montana has killed at least 40 people, prompting former police detective Peter Bleksley to describe the death toll as "appallingly high." Swiss authorities confirmed the incident, which occurred in the early hours of New Year's Day 2026, is not being treated as terrorism. Emergency services responded to the blast at the bar in the resort town, which is located in the Valais canton of Switzerland. Bleksley, a former Detective Chief Inspector with the Metropolitan Police, expressed his despair over the scale of the tragedy, calling it "a tragic incident" that has devastated the local community and the families of the victims. The cause of the explosion remains under investigation as rescue and recovery operations continue at the site.