Crans-Montana Tragedy: The Night Gianni Walked Into Hell
The New Year’s Eve fire at Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana turned a night of celebration into one of the darkest chapters Switzerland has witnessed in years. Shortly after 1:40 a.m., flames erupted inside the packed venue, spreading with terrifying speed. Amid chaos, smoke, and screams, one name has since emerged as a symbol of courage: Gianni, a 19-year-old mechanical engineering student from Geneva.
When Gianni arrived at the scene, the nightmare was already unfolding. There were no ambulances in sight, and firefighters had not yet fully taken control. What he saw would haunt him forever. Victims lay scattered on the frozen ground in –11°C temperatures, many half-naked, their clothes melted into their skin. Faces were burned beyond recognition. Age, gender—nothing could be identified. Explosions echoed, flames roared, and panic ruled the street.
Drawing on his limited training in civil protection, Gianni didn’t hesitate. While others stood frozen in shock, he stepped forward to help firefighters overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster. He guided victims who could still walk, improvised stretchers from sofa frames, sprinted to nearby bars to gather blankets, and even performed CPR on severely burned victims. At times, impossible decisions had to be made—temporarily leaving one victim behind to reach another still trapped inside.
What shocked him almost as much as the fire was how few civilians helped. By his account, only three or four peoplestepped in. Even hardened firefighters were seen crying as they worked.
Gianni later described scenes of horror burned into his memory.
“People were lying on the ground, half-naked, burned, disfigured,” he said. “There were no faces anymore. No hair. People were black.”
He watched people—some nearly torn apart—die in front of him as resuscitation attempts failed. Adrenaline kept him moving until 5 a.m., pushing past exhaustion, fear, and pain. Deep down, he believes he saved lives that night.
Yet when the smoke cleared, another reality set in. Despite heavy exposure to toxic fumes, Gianni received no medical follow-up. The physical injuries may heal, but the psychological scars remain raw. Even now, he struggles to grasp the full weight of what he witnessed.
“I will never see anything worse than that night,” he said.
Gianni’s actions stand as a rare light in an otherwise devastating tragedy—proof that in the darkest moments, humanity can still shine through. But his story is only part of what happened inside and around Le Constellation that night.
