Two Romanian citizens confirmed dead in Swiss restaurant fire in Thusis

Identification of Romanian victims

Swiss authorities officially informed the Romanian Embassy in Bern on Friday, 28 August 2026, that two Romanian citizens were among the four individuals killed in a building fire in Thusis. The notification came after Swiss forensic teams concluded formal identification procedures for all victims recovered from the site. The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest confirmed receiving the diplomatic communication and expressed condolences to the families of the two deceased citizens. Diplomatic staff in Bern stated that they are maintaining continuous contact with Swiss authorities while following the legal procedures. The identification process resolved the identities of those found inside the destroyed structure following days of search operations.

Following the completion of procedures to identify the victims of the fire that occurred on 21 August 2026 in the town of Thusis, Swiss authorities informed the Embassy of Romania in Bern that two Romanian citizens are among the deceased.

Fire outbreak and staircase collapse

The fire started during the night between Thursday, 20 August, and Friday, 21 August 2026, in the town of Thusis, situated in the eastern Swiss canton of Graubünden. The blaze engulfed a multi-purpose property that contained a dining restaurant on the ground floor and multiple residential apartments across the upper floors. Flames spread through the interior within minutes, causing the central staircase of the building to collapse. The structural collapse hindered the intervention of emergency services, preventing crews from entering upper rooms directly. Approximately 100 firefighters responded to the scene to extinguish the flames and carry out search operations, though the building was completely destroyed.

Evacuations, injuries, and recovery of victims

Fourteen individuals succeeded in fleeing the building as the fire spread through the premises. Local police from the Grisons canton reported that eight people suffered injuries during the escape, comprising two with severe injuries, two with moderate injuries, and four with light injuries. Five people were initially unaccounted for following the evacuation, leading emergency teams to initiate searches through the unstable ruins. Over the following days, search crews recovered four deceased persons from beneath the debris of the collapsed property. Swiss media reported that one of the five missing individuals was located alive, confirming a total of four fatalities from the incident.

Consular assistance and emergency protocols

The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, headed by Oana Țoiu, confirmed that the embassy in Bern is prepared to provide consular assistance to the victims' families in line with its competencies. Romanian citizens in Switzerland can access consular support through the embassy call center in Bern at +41 31 351 05 46 and +41 31 351 05 47. Calls placed to these lines are directed to the Contact and Support Center for Romanian Citizens Abroad, which operates on a permanent 24-hour basis. Romanian nationals confronting urgent situations can contact the diplomatic mission via its dedicated emergency telephone line at +41 76 387 50 05. Swiss investigative agencies and Romanian diplomatic representatives continue to coordinate on documentation and assistance procedures.