In addition to the dead, 115 people were injured, many of them seriously, Swiss authorities said at a press conference.
A large number of the injured have been taken to other parts of the country for medical treatment, including Zurich and Geneva, and neighboring countries France, Germany and Italy have offered to take in patients. The work of identifying the deceased is still ongoing - something that is expected to take time - and people from several different countries are reported to have been affected by the fire.
The country's president, Guy Parmelin, said late Thursday afternoon that the incident was "one of the worst tragedies ever in our country" and that the Swiss flag would fly at half-mast in the coming days.
Many details about the course of events have not yet been determined, prosecutor Beatrice Pilloud said at the press conference. This includes how the fire started and how many people were inside the premises at the time.
The cause of the fire is also not known, but it was not caused by an explosion, and there is still nothing to indicate that it was any kind of attack.
We are working to find answers to our questions as quickly as possible,
Many young people
The fire was reported at 1:30 a.m. at the Le Constellation bar, a popular meeting place for tourists at this time of year. Many young people were reportedly in the bar when the fire broke out, police told Sky News.
Crans-Montana is located in the heart of the Swiss Alps, 40 kilometers north of the Matterhorn.
Many injured by burns
A state of emergency has been declared in the area, local security chief Stéphane Ganzer announced earlier on New Year's Day. The aim is to enable coordination of large resources.
We are facing an event that will require multiple coordination efforts that will continue for an extended period of time,
We also have an international dimension. At a ski resort on New Year's Eve, some of the victims will obviously come from different countries, which will raise diplomatic issues.
The Swedish Foreign Ministry reports that the embassy in Bern is in continuous contact with local authorities. As of 5 p.m., there was no information about affected Swedes, the Ministry told TT.
