A discussion about safety and our instinct to record rather than help has followed the deadly fire at a Swiss ski resort bar.
Billionaire investor Bill Ackman has urged parents to talk to their children about emergency safety, using the tragic New Year’s Eve Swiss ski resort fire as an example. In a post on the social media platform X, Ackman reacted to viral videos of the fire at the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, which killed 40 people and injured 119 .
He advised young people: “If you find yourself in an overcrowded place, leave. If a fire breaks out, don’t pull out your phone, get out immediately. Don’t film your friends dying, break the window and save them” .
This advice has spread widely online, adding to the global reaction to one of Switzerland’s worst peacetime disasters .
What Happened at Le Constellation Bar
The fire broke out around 1:30 a.m. on January 1, 2026, at the popular basement bar in the upscale ski resort . The venue was packed with people, many of them teenagers and young adults celebrating the new year .
Swiss authorities say the likely cause was “sparkler candles” or flares placed on top of champagne bottles. Prosecutors believe these were held too close to the ceiling, igniting the soundproofing material . This caused a flashover—a rapid, widespread fire that engulfed the basement within seconds .
“From there, a rapid, very rapid and widespread conflagration ensued,” said Béatrice Pilloud, the public prosecutor for the Valais region .
The bar’s main escape route from the basement was a narrow staircase leading to a single door, which reportedly opened inward, making escape even more difficult for the panicked crowd . Many victims were so severely burned that identification has been a slow and painful process for authorities and families .
A Community and a Nation in Mourning
The Swiss government has declared five days of national mourning . Flags on federal buildings are flying at half-mast, and an official memorial ceremony is planned in Crans-Montana .
The pain for families is acute, as many are still waiting for news. Authorities have identified 24 of the 40 victims so far . Among those identified are a 14-year-old Swiss girl and two 15-year-old Swiss girls .
“I have been searching for my son for 30 hours. The wait is unbearable,” said Laetitia, the mother of missing 16-year-old Arthur, to French media. “If he’s in the hospital, I don’t know which hospital he’s in. If he’s in the morgue, I don’t know which morgue he’s in” .
The injured have been sent to hospitals across Switzerland and other European countries, including France, Germany, Italy, and Poland, as local intensive care units reached full capacity . Many of the survivors suffered severe burns and lung damage from smoke inhalation .
The Online Discussion: To Record or to React?
Bill Ackman’s post has amplified a difficult conversation about modern behavior in crises. By sharing the advice to “break the window and save them” instead of filming, he focused on immediate, life-saving action .
He also reposted commentary from others, including author John LeFevre, who wrote: “The social media era has erased 200,000 years of evolution. Instead of recognizing the danger and feeling the instinct for survival, they pulled out their phones for the Gram” .
This is not the first time Ackman has sparked a major online discussion with his personal advice. In late 2025, his suggestion that young men use the polite pick-up line “May I meet you?” was widely mocked and turned into memes across social media .
However, the context of the Swiss fire tragedy has given his latest comments a much more serious weight, moving the discussion from dating to life and death.
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Investigation and Criminal Charges
A criminal investigation is now underway. Swiss prosecutors have opened a case against the two French managers of Le Constellation bar on suspicion of homicide by negligence and causing bodily harm by negligence .
The investigation will look at whether the bar’s soundproofing foam met safety standards, if there were adequate fire exits and extinguishers, and if the use of sparklers inside the building was permitted .
The mayor of Crans-Montana stated the bar had undergone regular fire inspections, but officials declined to give details about their findings . The tragedy has raised urgent questions about safety protocols in crowded entertainment venues.
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