Nigeria, Jan. 2 -- New Year's celebrations ended in tragedy in Switzerland on Thursday as a devastating fire tore through Le Constellation, a popular bar at the upscale Alpine ski resort of Crans-Montana.

Al Jazeera reported that at least 40 people were killed and 115 others injured, making it one of the deadliest incidents in modern Swiss history.

The blaze erupted in the early hours of 1 January, with smoke first reported around 1:30 a.m. local time, police authorities told CNN.

Families of the missing faced an agonising wait for news of their loved ones on Friday as Swiss officials said identifying those killed in the fire, which includes citizens of multiple countries, could "take several days."

Witnesses described a scene of pani...