By Martin Goillandeau, Laura Sharman, Lauren Said-Moorhouse

(CNN) — New Year celebrations turned to tragedy in Switzerland on Thursday, with dozens of people dead and more than 100 others injured in a fire at an Alpine ski resort described by officials as one of the worst tragedies the country has experienced.

Authorities said the blaze broke out in the early hours of New Year’s Day at Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, one of Switzerland’s most exclusive locales.

Here’s what we know.

What happened?

Valais Cantonal Police Commander Frédéric Gisler said in an update on Thursday evening that smoke was first spotted around 1:30 a.m. and emergency services were called.

Police were on scene within two minutes of the alarm being raised, and were quickly supported by firefighters and other emergency responders from the region, he added.

The venue lies at the heart of the luxury ski resort, just a short walk from the bottom station of the lift that takes skiers up into the mountains. It has two bars, a dedicated shisha smoking area and a capacity of 300 people, with terrace space for 40, according to its website. Photos from inside the venue show a dark, cavernous space with a large, brightly lit bar at its center. It was not immediately clear which part of the bar was affected by the fire.

While the investigation is in its early stages, police have ruled out a terror attack, saying the tragedy is being treated as a fire.

Attorney General Béatrice Pilloud said at a news conference on Thursday evening that the investigation will determine the circumstances of the fire and that it will take time.

Two witnesses told CNN affiliate BFMTV that the devastating incident was caused by sparklers placed in champagne bottles.

“There were waitresses carrying champagne bottles with sparklers on them, and they carried them close to the ceiling, which caused it to catch fire,” one eyewitness said.

“One waitress was standing on another waiter’s shoulders, and the bottle and the flames were just a few centimeters away from the ceiling,” the other reveler added.

“Once the ceiling was on fire, within about 10 seconds the entire nightclub was on fire,” the first eyewitness said. “We all ran out screaming and when we turned back, there were flames.”

Both witnesses said there were at least 200 people inside the establishment. Officials said Thursday evening that the total number of revelers at the New Year’s Eve event is currently unknown but will be part of the ongoing investigation.

When questioned by a journalist at the news conference about the origin of the fire and whether the staircase between the two floors of the bar was “very narrow,” Pilloud said she could not comment on reports a sparkler was the ignition source and that it was too early to determine what exactly started the fire.

Another eyewitness recalled hearing people shouting as the fire tore through the bar. “There were people screaming, and then people lying on the ground, probably dead. They had jackets over their faces,” local resident Samuel Rapp told Reuters.

He continued: “Then I received videos where people were trying to get out, but they were trampling over each other, so it was hard to get out through the exit. And there were people shouting, saying, ‘Help me. Please help us.’”

Police have released footage from inside the venue, which appeared to show the terrace area of Le Constellation. Chairs and benches could be seen in disarray, suggesting the panic of partygoers as they attempted to flee the blaze.

Operations are ongoing and the area has been closed off, with a no-fly zone in place over Crans-Montana, police said.

How many people lost their lives?

Around 40 people were killed and a further 115 injured, many of them severely, police said in Thursday evening’s news conference. Authorities were still working to identify all of the deceased and injured victims, and the victims are likely of several different nationalities.

Families of those involved face an agonizing wait after authorities said it could “take several days” to identify all of the victims.

Video from Reuters showed red and white police tape blocking access to the scene on Thursday. White forensic tents could be seen outside the bar as investigations into the fire continue.

President of the Swiss Confederation Guy Parmelin said the incident represented a “tragic loss that touches the whole country and far beyond,” as he offered his condolences to the victims and their families.

New Year’s Day was the first day of Parmelin’s one-year term as head of state; he postponed a traditional address to the nation out of respect for the victims of the fire.

French President Emmanuel Macron also offered his condolences to the bereaved, saying Switzerland has “the full solidarity of France and our fraternal support.”

Where are the injured being treated?

The huge number of people injured in the tragedy has overwhelmed the local medical system in the Valais canton, with patients being transported to hospitals across the country and abroad.

State Council president Mathias Reynard said that of the 115 people injured in the fire, a “significant number” have been classified as in a “critical” condition.

The head of the canton said 80 people were treated by the emergency services and taken to hospital, while 35 people came to hospitals on their own.

He said 60 people were being treated in the local hospital in Sion, while others have been transferred to other medical centers around the country, including its two specialist major burns centers in Lausanne and Zurich.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani earlier said that the Niguarda Hospital in Milan was set to receive several patients as well.

Italy’s foreign ministry said Thursday afternoon that 15 Italian nationals were in hospital after being injured in the fire. It added that “as many” Italians remain unaccounted for following the disaster.

France’s foreign ministry said two French nationals were among the injured and had been “immediately taken into care by emergency services.”

Consular teams were in contact with Swiss authorities in case other French nationals were affected, the statement added.

Where is Crans-Montana?

The Crans-Montana resort is popular with foreign tourists. According to its official website, it welcomes around 3 million visitors a year, with roughly a fifth coming from abroad – most from France, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States.

It is famed for its year-round sunshine, which it owes to its position on a south-facing plateau in the Rhone Valley. The area – 1,500 meters above sea level – offers sweeping Alpine vistas stretching from the Matterhorn to Mont Blanc, one of Europe’s highest peaks.

Tourists are drawn by its understated glamor, with high-end shopping and fine dining as well as extensive ski slopes and a lively apres-ski scene.

With a small population of around 15,000, the area is said to have a close-knit community as well as being a low-key place for celebrities to go skiing, golfing and dining.

This story has been updated with additional developments.

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