40 people confirmed to have died in Swiss bar fire
What began as a celebration to ring in the New Year quickly turned deadly, as a bar located in the Swiss town of Crans-Montana was engulfed in flames. In the early hours of Jan. 1, a fire rapidly spread across the establishment, forcing patrons to evacuate the building. At time of publication, 40 individuals have been confirmed by Swiss authorities to be dead, and 116 more have sustained injuries. Many of the deceased were teenagers and young adults who were celebrating the new year at the establishment. The bar, called Le Constellation, served as a coffee shop during the day and a nightclub in the evening.
The fire began around 1:30 a.m. on New Year’s Day. During a press conference soon after the incident, Valais Attorney General Beatrice Pilloud said, “Everything leads us to think that the fire started from sparkling candles – or sparklers – which were put on bottles of champagne [that were] moved too close to the ceiling. From that, a blaze began very quickly.”
The bar had been known to advertise drinks that arrive with sparklers, however investigations are still ongoing by Swiss authorities and the Valais police force to determine exactly what went wrong. It was discovered that the bar had not received a safety inspection in over five years, the last one being in 2019. The capacity of the bar was 300 people, though it is unclear how many individuals were there when the fire broke out.
The bar was owned and managed by married couple Jaques and Jessica Morretti. The couple are charged with “involuntary homicide, involuntary bodily harm, and involuntarily causing a fire,” as reported by PBS. Jaques was taken into custody for a three-month detention and awaits trial, while his wife is prohibited from leaving the country. Both have reportedly expressed deep remorse for the incident, and have decided to comply with authorities.
In the aftermath, several regions of Switzerland, including the region of Valais where the fire took place, have banned pyrotechnics in indoor facilities, in order to prevent tragedies like this from reoccurring. As well, a national day of mourning was held by the people of Switzerland on Jan. 9. During the broadcasted ceremony in Martigny, Swiss President Guy Parmelin said “Our country is appalled by this tragedy. It bows before the memory of those who are no longer with us.” Continuing, “it stands by the bedside of those who are about to embark on a long road to recovery.” As ceremonial church bells rang out, he offered words of remembrance. “The memory of that terrible night illuminates the faces of the 156 victims, their happy days, their carefree spirit.”
Our thoughts are with the victims and the families of those impacted by the fire at this difficult time.