"It was like being at war" How did doctors, firefighters and the judiciary experience the fire disaster? 5 answers

It leaves its mark: four days after the fire disaster in Crans-Montana, those affected, rescuers and experts show how close death, hope and unanswered questions are.

Four days after the devastating fire disaster in Crans-Montana, SRF dedicated a special program to the accident. Those affected, emergency services and experts described their impressions, talked about what they had experienced and put the events into context.

blue News has summarized the five most important statements and findings from the broadcast.

For the public prosecutor's office, one goal was paramount right from the start: certainty for the families. "Until now, the priority has been identification - and as quickly as possible," said lead prosecutor Beatrice Pilloud. The aim is to "bring back a child, a brother or a sister" to the relatives so that they can take the next step in their lives. This certainty is the central prerequisite for any form of grief work.

At the same time, the criminal investigations were opened unusually quickly. "It was incredibly fast," said the public prosecutor, but at the same time emphasized that speed and diligence are not contradictory. Thanks to the support of numerous employees from the public prosecutor's office and the police, it was possible to initiate initial measures at an early stage. "We did an excellent job - that was very important for all the families."

The public prosecutor's office is currently not ruling out any hypotheses. The only thing that is clear is: "You can't say that everything went correctly." With 40 fatalities and over 100 young people injured, it is obvious that something went wrong.

The investigation is based, among other things, on numerous videos from social media. These made it possible to "see the first few seconds of the fire" and support the hypothesis that the fire started on the ceiling. However, the biggest challenge remains that many victims are not yet able to give evidence - which makes the investigation complex and time-consuming.

Tragedy in Crans-Montana VSAll 116 injured identified - 83 are still in hospital

For David Vocat, commander of the Crans-Montana fire department, the operation on New Year's Eve began unusually early. The fire department was on standby anyway due to the New Year, which made it possible to deploy quickly. "We were able to be on site very quickly," said Vocat. Right from the start, they tried to rescue as many people as possible. He was particularly impressed by the rescue chain: it "worked beautifully" - despite the extreme circumstances.

Vocat describes what awaited the emergency services in drastic terms. "It was like war," he said. The situation was completely unreal, something he wouldn't wish on anyone. Young people screaming everywhere, badly burned young people, people dying. It was chaos, a situation that was almost impossible to keep track of and extremely difficult to manage.

When the fire department arrived, the open flames had already been extinguished - the so-called flashover was over. But the real work was just beginning. Injured people were taken out of the building, often using improvised means: on chairs, on furniture from the terrace. Other young people helped, carrying injured people to safety and taking them to a nearby restaurant where they were protected from the cold until the emergency services took over. This solidarity touched him deeply, said Vocat. After the operation, it was clear that his people also needed support. Psychologists from Geneva accompanied the team. "These are volunteers who do extraordinary things," said Vocat. "They need to be looked after - they deserve it."

Representatives of the Basel professional fire department were also deeply saddened. A major incident with so many fatalities and injuries is extraordinary, even for experienced emergency services. As a leader, you first have to keep an eye on "the technical, the tactical", said one representative - but thoughts kept returning to those affected. At the latest at home, when your own children are safely in bed, you can no longer let go of what happened.

Various aspects were discussed within the fire department: the behavior of the young people in the bar, the use of flames and pyrotechnics, but also the physical processes of a fire. "It happens very quickly. We can read the smoke because we know what it does," said one fire department representative. This experience in particular makes it clear how little time there is in an emergency.

Following the scene in Basel, Stefan Vogler, commander of the Bassersdorf volunteer fire department, had his say. He tried to explain the seemingly reckless behavior of the young people filming and dancing: "Women are less affected by this than men. Men of that age might want to man up, they don't want to look 'soft'." He therefore made it clear to his daughter: even if it's not cool in such a situation and she might be the only one, she should try to inform others about the danger and raise the alarm. "Even if you do it ten times, it's better to react quickly. If the fire spreads, there won't be enough time"

Fredy-Michel Roten, emergency doctor and director of the Valais cantonal rescue organizations, returned to the scene of the accident on Sunday for the first time since 1 January. Although people in Valais are used to major incidents - avalanches, serious mountain accidents, traffic disasters - the scale of this fire is beyond comparison. His thoughts are primarily with the relatives and bereaved.

From a medical point of view, the operation itself was remarkably orderly. "We were quickly informed that there were a lot of injured people," said Roten. Thanks to the cantonal structure, which unites the 144 emergency call center, helicopters, ambulances, emergency doctors and the major incident response team under one roof, there was a complete overview of the available resources at all times. This made the flow of patients much easier.

Many impressions were blocked out during the operation, Roten admitted. There was no alternative to functioning at that moment. Processing often begins later - and is individual. This is why emergency psychologists are not only available for victims and relatives, but also for the emergency services. "That's part of our job today," said Roten.

The statements made by Katrin Neuhaus, Chief Physician at Zurich Children's Hospital and Head of the Burn Injury Center, were particularly impressive. She made it unmistakably clear how serious the situation is, even days after the disaster: "The patients' lives are still in danger." Four of the five injured people treated in Zurich were still in intensive care and required maximum medical support.

Severe burn injuries are among the "most extensive injuries imaginable", explained Neuhaus. The body goes into a state of shock and has to be stabilized with enormous amounts of fluids, while at the same time vital organs are under strain. The loss of the skin as a protective organ is crucial: "The skin loses its function. Heat is lost. Patients run the risk of contracting infections."

In order to reduce this risk, destroyed skin must be removed as early as possible and replaced with autologous skin. Areas of skin that are still intact are used for this - for example on the leg, back or head. These procedures are repeated over a period of weeks. Hope arises gradually: "Every operation is a step closer to a possible recovery." The decisive moment is reached "when everything is covered - then we say: Now we've got it."