Authorities investigating the Swiss bar fire say a newly reviewed segment of CCTV footage has left even seasoned responders shaken. The video shows multiple victims clustered together near the main exit, holding onto one another as smoke rapidly filled the space—an image investigators say explains why so many were found in the same position.
“The Ten-Second Mark Says It All”
According to officials, the most devastating moment occurs about ten seconds into the clip. In that brief window, the footage shows:
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A surge toward the exit followed by sudden congestion
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Patrons reaching back for one another rather than pushing ahead
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Visibility collapsing as dense smoke rolls down from the ceiling
“Those ten seconds explain the scene we found,” a fire official said. “They chose each other.”
What Investigators Believe Happened
Fire experts say the clustering indicates a rapid change in conditions—likely a combination of heat, smoke, and a blocked or slowed egress—that left patrons disoriented and short of breath within moments.
The footage supports earlier findings that:
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The fire escalated faster than expected
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Exit flow was interrupted, not absent
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Victims attempted to move together, not abandon one another
Why the Footage Matters
Until now, investigators struggled to explain why so many victims were discovered so close to safety. The CCTV clarifies that proximity alone wasn’t enough; conditions deteriorated mid-movement, trapping people at the threshold.
“This wasn’t panic,” an investigator noted. “It was compassion under impossible conditions.”
Ongoing Investigation
Authorities continue to assess whether exit capacity, interior layout, or ignition timing contributed to the bottleneck seen on camera. Officials reiterated that no final determination has been made regarding intent or fault.
Families of the victims were briefed privately before any public description of the footage. Support services remain available.
What Comes Next
Investigators are:
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Synchronizing the CCTV with sensor data and emergency calls
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Conducting a forensic re-walk of the exit area
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Reviewing crowd-flow modeling to understand the sudden slowdown
“The video doesn’t just show what happened,” an official said. “It shows who they were—together.”
