FLASH
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Investigators are continuing to search for victims of the fire at Le Constellation bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana, which caused one of the biggest tragedies in one of the most touristic areas not only in Switzerland.
The number of victims has increased to 47, while 115 others are in hospitals receiving medical attention, some in serious condition, as a result of severe burns suffered in the fire that engulfed the well-known bar.
A doctor at a local hospital says patients, some as young as 15, are being treated for severe third-degree burns, while officials warn it could take days or even weeks to identify victims.
It is still not clear what caused the fire, but eyewitnesses have described the speed with which it spread and the chaos that followed.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin called the event "one of the worst tragedies our country has experienced."
Italian golf talent suspected to be among victims
Some media outlets have reported that Italian golf talent Emanuele Galeppini, 16, is among the victims. The outlets cite a statement from the Italian Golf Federation, but a spokesman for the Italian Foreign Ministry told the BBC that it could not confirm this.
In a tribute, the Italian Golf Federation called Emanuele a "young athlete who carried with him passion and authentic values." But the statement made no mention of the fire in Switzerland.
Local Italian media had previously reported that Emanuele's father had said his son was at the bar on the night of the fire and that the family had last had contact with him at midnight.
Identifying victims could take weeks
The identities or nationalities of the victims are not yet known, and local officials warn that the identification process could take days or even weeks. But several French and Italian citizens are among the missing.
A UK Foreign Office spokesman said: "Our thoughts are with all those injured and killed in the terrible tragedy in Crans-Montana and we pay tribute to the Swiss emergency services who are leading the response."
"We will continue to monitor the situation and our consular staff are ready to support any British national who may be affected," the response said.
What do we know about the tragedy?
More than 24 hours after a devastating fire broke out at a New Year's Eve party in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana, here's what we know:
Some 47 people have died and 115 have been injured, some seriously. A Swiss doctor says the patients are "very young", between 15 and 25 years old.
The fire is thought to have started around 1:30 a.m. local time on January 1 at a bar called Le Constellation.
Witnesses have suggested that the flames spread rapidly and the fire may have been caused by waitresses carrying champagne bottles with "fireworks" or "candles" on top.
Eyewitnesses have also described scenes of chaos as people tried to escape, even breaking windows.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin called the event "one of the worst tragedies our country has experienced."
An investigation is ongoing. Police, firefighters and forensic personnel were photographed at the scene this morning.
What we don't know
The cause of the fire is still unknown. Officials have declined to comment on speculation that candles or fireworks may have started the blaze.
The identities of the victims. Officials have warned that the identification process could take days or even weeks. But several French and Italian citizens are among the missing.
We still don't know if safety standards are in question. Attorney General Beatrice Pilloud said: "I don't know how narrow a staircase is or not; the investigation will determine whether safety standards were respected or not... It will also cover emergency exits."
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