Jan 22, 2026, 4:09 p.mJanuary 22, 2026, 4:10 p.m
Three weeks after the fire disaster in Crans-Montana VS, Switzerland is sending two specialized teams to the Swiss injured in burn centers abroad. They are intended to clarify the condition of the patients and their further treatment and rehabilitation needs in Switzerland.
The two Swiss Contact Teams mentioned began their work on Wednesday and are initially visiting patients in Belgium and Germany, as the Federal Office for Civil Protection (Babs) announced on Thursday. Currently, 17 burn victims with Swiss citizenship and nine patients of foreign nationality but residing in Switzerland are being treated in specialized clinics in Belgium, Germany, France and Italy.
The further treatment of the injured in Switzerland is coordinated by the burn centers in Switzerland – the Chuv Lausanne University Hospital, the Zurich University Hospital and the Zurich Children’s Hospital – as well as by the cantons and the Conference of Cantonal Health Directors (GDK).
There are flowers for those injured by burns at the entrance to Zurich University Hospital on January 7th. Image: KEYSTONE
Also involved are Suva and the Suva clinics in Bellikon AG and Sitten, which specialize in rehabilitation, the Federal Office of Public Health (BAG) and Babs as part of the National Association for Disaster Medicine (Katamed).
The teams sent by the federal government are made up of representatives from the National Association for Disaster Medicine. They consist of experienced burn medicine and rehabilitation specialists from the treating institutions.
They receive organizational support from experts from the Swiss Red Cross and the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Corps (SHA), which is affiliated with the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (EDA). In addition, the Swiss embassies and consulates in the respective countries provide support. The deployment is organized by the National Alarm Center in the Federal Office for Civil Protection.
40 people were killed in the fire disaster in the “Le Constellation” bar in Crans Montana on New Year’s Eve. 116 others were injured, some seriously. (sda)