Swiss Churches Unite in Prayer Following Tragic Bar Fire
In response to a devastating fire that claimed 40 lives at the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, Protestant churches have designated a day for prayer and mourning. The blaze, which erupted during a New Year’s Eve celebration, is thought to have been ignited when a sparkler contacted sound insulation foam.
Concerns have been raised regarding the bar’s capacity at the time of the incident and the lack of regular fire inspections by local authorities since 2019. In addition to the fatalities, 116 individuals suffered injuries, marking it as the most severe tragedy in Switzerland since the 1990 Alitalia Flight 404 crash that resulted in 46 deaths.
The Evangelical Church of Switzerland (EKS) has expressed its intention to display “solidarity” with those affected as they prepare for a nationwide day of prayer on 9 January.
“We will not leave one another alone – neither the bereaved nor the injured, neither the emergency services nor all those who are now providing pastoral care, listening, praying, organizing, and carrying,” stated the EKS.
Support from the global Christian community has been acknowledged by the Church, including a comforting message from the World Council of Churches citing Psalm 34: “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”
Additional expressions of condolence and prayer have been sent by the Evangelical Church in the Rhineland and the World Communion of Reformed Churches in Europe.
A memorial service will be held in Crans-Montana on 9 January. The EKS plans to commemorate the day by ringing church bells nationwide and organizing prayers.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the deceased, with the injured, and with all those now struggling to recover,” the Church said.
They further added, “May we as churches in Switzerland and beyond continue to stand together – in prayer, in pastoral care, in concrete support. And may we discover traces of hope in this darkness: in the love that sustains, and in God, who is close to the broken.”
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
