Archive · 15 Jan 2026
Swiss Hospital Grows Skin for Bar Fire Survivors
A big fire at a bar in Switzerland on New Year's Day hurt many people, especially teenagers.
The fire was so bad that some people have very serious burns all over their bodies.
Doctors in a special hospital are working hard to grow new skin for these people.
They take a tiny piece of healthy skin from each person and use it to grow a lot more skin in the lab.
This new skin is then put on the burned areas to help them heal.
The doctors are working every day to make sure the skin grows just right.
It's like giving the injured people a new layer of skin to help them feel better.
The fire started because of sparklers near the ceiling, but doctors are focusing on helping the survivors right now.
A fire at the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, killed 40 people and injured 116 on January 1, 2024.
Lausanne University Hospital is growing lab-made skin for survivors with extensive burns, using small samples of their healthy skin.
The hospital's Cell Production Centre has received 15 requests for skin grafts, nearly their annual total, and is working seven days a week.
The skin growth process takes about three weeks, and the grafts must be applied within two days of being ready.
Survivors are being treated in high-humidity rooms, and the success of the skin grafts is not guaranteed, with 80% success considered excellent.
- Who
- Survivors of the Le Constellation bar fire, mostly teenagers, and medical staff at Lausanne University Hospital.
- What
- A fire at a bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, leading to extensive burns and the need for lab-grown skin grafts.
- When
- The fire occurred on January 1, 2024. The skin growth process takes about three weeks.
- Where
- The fire was in Crans-Montana, and the skin is being grown at Lausanne University Hospital in Epalinges, near Lausanne.
- Why
- The fire caused extensive burns, requiring lab-grown skin to cover large areas of the body.
- Location
- Crans-Montana, Switzerland
- Date
- January 1, 2024
- Fatalities
- 40
- Injured
- 116
- Hospitalized
- 80
- Skin Production Facility
- Lausanne University Hospital
- Skin Growth Time
- 3 weeks
- Graft Success Rate
- 80% considered excellent