Scores of people are presumed killed and around 100 others injured in a fire at a New Year's party in a Swiss ski resort, police said Thursday. The fire started at about 1:30am (00:30 GMT) on Thursday morning in the luxury Alpine ski resort town of Crans-Montana, as revellers rang in the new year, police spokesperson Gaetan Lathion said. "Several dozen people are presumed to have died," Frederic Gisler, the police commander in the Valais Canton in southwestern Switzerland, told reporters at a media briefing hours after the tragedy. Beatrice Pilloud, attorney general of the Valais Canton, said it was too early to determine the fire's cause but added that investigators have ruled out an attack. Police said they could not immediately be more precise about how many people had been killed in the blaze. However, the Italian foreign ministry said in a statement that Swiss police believe about 40 people have died. Some of the victims are from other countries, said Stephane Ganzer, head of security for the Valais Canton. Helicopters and ambulances rushed to the scene to assist victims, officials said. "We are devastated," Gisler said. "I can't hide from you that we are all shaken by what happened overnight in Crans." Earlier, Lathion said that more than 100 people were in the building when the blaze broke out. A medical source told national broadcaster RTS that hospitals in French-speaking Switzerland were overwhelmed with burn victims in the aftermath of the blaze. Most of those injured were in a serious condition, said regional councillor Mathias Renard. Valais hospital's intensive care unit was full, and patients were being transferred elsewhere, he added. Images shared by Swiss media in the immediate aftermath of the blaze showed a building in flames, and emergency services nearby. "A large contingent of police, firefighters, and rescue workers immediately went to the scene to assist the numerous victims," a police statement said. The area has been completely closed off, and a no-fly zone has been imposed over Crans-Montana, the statement added. Crans-Montana is situated in the heart of the Swiss Alps, just 40 kilometres (25 miles) north of the Matterhorn. It is an internationally renowned ski resort and attracts lots of tourists, Lathion said. A reception centre and helpline have been set up for affected families, he added. — Agencies
