Director of Swiss hospital describes rush to treat those injured in Alpine resort bar fire

(2 Jan 2026) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: ASSOCIATED PRESS Sion, Switzerland - 2 January 2026 1. Exterior of hospital 2. Helicopter flying to the hospital 3. Medic running to the hospital 4. Various of Sion hospital General Director Eric Bonvin being interviewed 5. SOUNDBITE (French) Eric Bonvin, Sion hospital General Director: "About 80 seriously injured people arrived within roughly three hours, so it was extremely intense." 6. Helicopter taking off from the hospital 7. SOUNDBITE (French) Eric Bonvin, Sion hospital General Director: "It’s a very particular situation because at the beginning burns are not necessarily apparent, the nerve endings are burnt so feelings are lost and the person is most of all in a state of shock. We know that at those moments, every minute counts." 8. Ambulance outside the hospital 9. SOUNDBITE (French) Eric Bonvin, Sion hospital General Director: "There were skin burns of varying severity, as well as damage to the respiratory tract. There were inhalations of both smoke and also of heat that for some probably led to internal burns. That’s a really catastrophic situation, as you can imagine." 10. Close of hospital sign 11. SOUNDBITE (French) Eric Bonvin, Sion hospital General Director: "Many people came spontaneously, even those who were on holiday or having a night out. That worked well." 12. Police car outside the hospital 13. SOUNDBITE (French) Eric Bonvin, Sion hospital General Director: "It was hard to live through for everyone. Also probably because everyone was asking themselves, ‘Was my child, my cousin, someone from the region at this party?’ This place was very well known as somewhere to celebrate the new year. Also, seeing people arrive — that’s always traumatic." 14. Bonvin being interviewed 15. SOUNDBITE (French) Eric Bonvin, Sion hospital General Director: "You need to know that for those with serious burns, intensive care treatment lasts several months and then it's a long period of rehabilitation. This is the first part. The second part that I'd like to say that it's long, it requires patience, but it’s not without hope. They are young and that means they still have a lot of vitality." 16. Exterior of the hospital STORYLINE: The director of the Swiss hospital described the rush to treat those injured in an Alpine resort bar fire as "extremely intense." Eric Bonvin, general director of the regional hospital in Sion that took in several dozen injured people from a blaze that tore through a bar in Crans-Montana during New Year's Eve, said those with severe burns face months of treatment. The injured were teenagers and young adults, roughly 20 years old on average, he told The Associated Press inside the hospital, which is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the resort by air. Bonvin recounted how hospital staff scrambled to determine the extent of people’s injuries — aided by colleagues who had not been scheduled to work but rushed in to lend a hand. “It’s a very particular situation because at the beginning burns are not necessarily apparent, the nerve endings are burnt so feelings are lost and the person is most of all in a state of shock,” he said. “At those moments, every minute counts.” Injured survivors suffered burns to varying degrees, not just to their skin but also to their airways. “There were inhalations of both smoke and also of heat that for some probably led to internal burns. That’s a really catastrophic situation, as you can imagine,” Bonvin said. As of Friday, the hospital still had about 30 seriously injured patients in its care — after many were transferred to other hospitals. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...