European Parliament President Roberta Metsola joined international leaders in Martigny for a moving memorial service honouring the victims of the Crans-Montana fire in Switzerland.

The tragedy, which turned a New Year's Eve celebration into a "moment of horror," claimed 40 lives and left over 100 injured.

"As a mother with boys of the same age as many of the victims, I cannot imagine the unfathomable pain these families are suffering," Metsola said, in the presence of the relatives of the victims.

Metsola said that the EU Civil Protection Mechanism was immediately activated to coordinate the disaster response, and extended gratitude to Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, and Poland, which have collectively taken in 35 critically injured patients into their specialist clinics.

She also thanked all those countries that have offered and sent aid, and to the first responders who acted heroically under "horrible" circumstances.

"Today, we stand and grieve united in solidarity. The European Union stands with you," Metsola said.

The high-level ceremony included French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, and Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, representing a unified European front in the wake of one of the region's deadliest fires in recent history.