False images and misleading claims circulate online after Crans-Montana fire tragedy

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False images and misleading claims circulate online after Crans-Montana fire tragedy   A deadly New Year’s Eve fire at a bar in the Swiss Alps has prompted false images and narratives about the blaze's origin to spread online.   READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2026/01/05/false-images-and-misleading-claims-circulate-online-after-crans-montana-fire-tragedy  Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages

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00:00What misleading and false claims spread about the Cranmontana deadly fire?

00:11A deadly fire at a bar in the Swiss Key Resort of Cranmontana

00:14killed 40 people and endured more than 100 on New Year's Eve.

00:18A range of verified online footage catalogues the tragedy,

00:21which mainly involved teenage victims, providing a timeline of how the blaze ignited.

00:27But a host of other misleading claims, fake images and AI-generated content

00:32have also gained traction across social media.

00:36Several accounts claimed the fire was caused by an explosion,

00:39relaying initial reports made by local authorities,

00:43although authorities rapidly clarified their statements.

00:47These posts have remained online, sparking confusion.

00:50By the morning of the 1st of January, Swiss authorities ruled out an attack on the bar

00:55and instead pointed to a fire.

00:57On the 2nd of January, they said that it was likely ignited by sparkler candles,

01:02which were attached to champagne bottles, and set the ceiling alight.

01:06Officials explained that loud bangs reported by witnesses

01:10were caused by flammable materials, which burned quickly.

01:14This widely shared photo claimed to show emergency responders after the fire.

01:19But a closer look reveals that they are wearing jackets with Polish writing on them.

01:24That's because these images are from a gas explosion, which occurred in Poland in 2019.

01:29Another image claiming to show the venue's exterior does not match verified photos of the bar,

01:35because it is in fact AI-generated.

01:38And here, we traced this footage of waiters swirling handkerchiefs,

01:42while a fire blazes above them to a fire at a restaurant in Bali a week earlier.

01:47Swiss prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into the owners of the bar

01:52and whether they complied with safety requirements.

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