On New Year’s Eve, a catastrophic fire broke out in a nightclub in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, resulting in 40 fatalities and 119 injuries, many of whom suffered severe burns. The overwhelming scale of the tragedy exceeded local medical capacities, necessitating the urgent transfer of critically injured patients to specialised burn units abroad.

In response, Switzerland activated the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) to mobilise additional medical evacuation resources. Under the emergency.lu programme, Luxembourg mandated Luxembourg Air Rescue (LAR) to provide medical airlift support. This intervention aimed to ensure the safe and rapid transfer of severely burned patients to advanced treatment facilities in neighbouring countries.

On 2 January 2026, following a pre-alert, LAR’s operations centre confirmed its readiness and placed its air and medical crews on standby. The deployed team included an anaesthesiologist-intensivist and two specialised nurses, ensuring optimal in-flight care for critically injured patients. The mission was coordinated between the emergency.lu team,the EU’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC), and LAR.

The first patient was evacuated from Payerne to a specialised burn facility in Leipzig on 2 January 2026, followed by the transfer of a second patient from Zurich to Berlin on 3 January 2026. The deployment of emergency.lu’s medical evacuation capacities played a pivotal role in alleviating the suffering of the most critically injured victims. By facilitating the transfer of patients to specialised burn centres, the operation ensured that those in dire need received life-saving treatment that was not available locally.

The coordinated efforts of emergency.lu, Luxembourg Air Rescue, Swiss authorities, and the EU Civil Protection Mechanism underscored the importance of rapid response and specialised care in mitigating the impact of large-scale emergencies.