Chocolate bunny blaze costs millions

ZURICH, Switzerland (CNN) -- A fire in a Swiss warehouse has destroyed up to four million Easter chocolate bunnies.

The blaze on Wednesday at a depot owned by retail giant Migros night melted Easter chocolate rabbits to the tune of 20 million Swiss francs ($11.8m)

CNN.com Europe More news  from our European edition   COUNTRY PROFILE At a glance: Switzerland Provided by CountryWatch.com

Also destroyed were sweets including Easter eggs to the value of 9 million Swiss Francs ($5.3m). The total damage from the fire is put at 30 million Swiss francs ($17.8m).

The fire swept a central distribution warehouse containing nearly half of the total output needed to cover demand at Migros, the country's largest retailer, through central and eastern Switzerland.

Police still do not know the cause of the blaze, which was still burning on Thursday.

A spokesman for Migros, Urs Peter Naef, told CNN that 40 percent of production had been lost.

He said that Easter bunny production had been cranked up at supplier Chocolat Frey's two factories near Zurich.

These were now working down the clock to make sure Swiss children were not deprived of their chocolate treats.

"They are working 24 hours a day, seven days a week," he said.

"We will not be able to make up 100 percent but we will make quite a big impression.

"The children of Switzerland will still get their Easter bunnies."