New Delhi, Jan. 3 -- The hospital that initially took in the majority of injured victims from a fire at a Swiss bar is no stranger to emergencies: In the heart of the Alps, it is used to treating winter sports enthusiasts who have accidents on the slopes.

But the flood of young and severely burned survivors from the blaze that tore through Le Constellation in Crans-Montana during New Year's Eve revelry was something else.

Eric Bonvin, general director of the regional hospital in Sion that took in several dozen injured people, said those with severe burns face months of treatment but expressed hope that their youth will speed their recovery.

The injured were teenagers and young adults, roughly 20 years old on average, he told The Associ...