Swiss authorities have confirmed the identities of 24 victims of a New Year’s Eve fire at Le Constellation bar in the Alpine resort of Crans-Montana, including 11 minors and six foreign nationals, as police continue to investigate the cause and circumstances of the tragedy. The blaze, which began in the bar’s basement at around 1:30 a.m. on Thursday, claimed 40 lives and left 119 people injured, many with severe burns.
Local and national authorities have launched a criminal investigation into the bar’s owners, French couple Jacques and Jessica Moretti. They face charges of negligent manslaughter, bodily harm by negligence, and arson by negligence. Investigators are examining whether the establishment complied with fire safety regulations and building standards. Authorities have suggested that lit sparklers attached to champagne bottles may have ignited flammable soundproofing foam on the ceiling, triggering the rapid spread of flames.
In response to the tragedy, hundreds of mourners walked in silence to a nearby chapel of rest for a memorial service. Bishop Jean-Marie Lovey of Sion said the service was intended to offer comfort to grieving families and the wider community. “The world’s media are focused on our resort. We thank them for seeking the compassion which the families of the injured and deceased so desperately need,” he said.
Pastor Gilles Cavin, representing the Reformed Church of Switzerland, told the congregation that many victims were apprentices, high school students, and university students. He described the gathering as a demonstration of solidarity: “We are here to say that in the face of the unspeakable, in the face of the brutality of death and suffering, we refuse to look away. We are here to express our compassion, our solidarity.”
Police confirmed that the recently identified victims include 10 Swiss nationals, aged 14 to 31, two 16-year-old Italians, a 39-year-old Frenchman, a dual Italian–Emirati national aged 16, an 18-year-old Romanian, and an 18-year-old Turkish citizen. Crans-Montana, a popular international ski destination, also had numerous foreign nationals among the injured, including people from France, Italy, Serbia, Belgium, Bosnia, Luxembourg, Poland, and Portugal.
Despite freezing temperatures of -9°C, hundreds of people attended the mass, many holding flowers or single red roses. The service was broadcast on a large screen outside to accommodate the crowd.
Videos from the fire show panicked partygoers attempting to escape, some breaking windows as flames spread rapidly through the low wooden ceiling. Experts noted that the foam covering may have caused a “flashover,” igniting the room almost simultaneously.
Mayor Nicolas Feraud reassured the public that the municipality had followed all safety protocols. The Swiss government has also declared a national day of mourning on 9 January, with church bells set to ring at 2 p.m. local time and a moment of silence observed nationwide.
