A devastating fire ripped through a packed nightclub in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana on New Year’s Eve, claiming 40 lives and injuring more than 100 people, many critically.
The blaze erupted around 1:30 A.M. at Le Constellation, a hotspot frequented by young partygoers in the town where the legal drinking age is 16. Prosecutors in the Valais canton wasted no time in launching a criminal investigation against the venue’s French owners, named in media reports as Jacques and Jessica Moretti.
Authorities suspect the couple of negligent homicide, causing bodily harm through negligence, and igniting the fire through negligence. The pair, who took over and revamped the bar in 2015, were interviewed following the incident; Jessica suffered injuries herself, and they expressed profound grief while insisting that previous safety checks had uncovered no faults. Initial findings indicate that sparklers or Bengal candles fastened to champagne bottles, raised dangerously close to the low ceiling, likely sparked the flames by igniting highly flammable acoustic foam.
This material, possibly lacking fire retardancy, accelerated a rapid flashover, filling the room with deadly toxic smoke in moments. Beatrice Pilloud, the lead prosecutor for Valais, stated in an official release that investigators are probing whether the venue’s acoustic foam was “the cause of the problem,” as well as “whether it complies with regulations.” Victims include many teenagers and young adults aged 16 to 24, with Swiss officials yet to release names despite early identifications of nationals.
An Italian teenage golfer featured among the first reported deaths, though neither Swiss nor Italian authorities have confirmed it. Italy reports 13 people in hospital and six unaccounted for as Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani made a condolence visit. Forensic teams from multiple nations grapple with severe burns complicating identifications, a process nearing its end as families convene at a conference centre in Crans alongside Italy’s Ambassador to Switzerland, Gian Lorenzo Cornado.
Cornado noted that efforts should wrap up by Sunday afternoon, slowed by the victims’ horrific injuries. The site remains cordoned off as a crime scene, encircled by heartfelt tributes of flowers, teddy bears, and notes of support.