Criminal Investigation Launched After New Year’s Fire in Switzerland Claims 40 Lives
A criminal investigation is underway following a devastating fire at Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, on New Year’s Day, which resulted in the deaths of 40 people and injured over 120 others. Swiss authorities are focusing their investigation on the managers of the establishment, suspecting them of involuntary homicide, bodily harm, and arson.
The investigation, opened Friday night, aims to “explore all the leads” surrounding the tragedy, according to Beatrice Pilloud, the Valais region’s chief prosecutor. While the names of the managers have not been released, the probe signals a serious escalation in the response to the Alpine resort town’s deadliest incident in recent memory.
The blaze erupted around 1:30 a.m. on Thursday at Le Constellation, a popular venue frequented by young people – many of whom were in their teens and early twenties. The sheer scale of the disaster has prompted a multi-faceted investigation into potential safety lapses and the cause of the fire.
Initial findings suggest that sparkling candles affixed to Champagne bottles ignited the blaze when they came into contact with the bar’s ceiling. Authorities are now scrutinizing whether sound-dampening materials used on the ceiling met safety regulations and if the use of such candles was permitted within the premises. A comprehensive review of all fire safety measures, including extinguishers and escape routes, is also being conducted.
“Such a huge accident with a fire in Switzerland means that something didn’t work – maybe the material, maybe the organization on the spot,” stated Stéphane Ganzer, the Valais region’s top security official, in a public radio interview Saturday. “Something didn’t work and someone made a mistake, I am sure of that.”
The process of identifying both the deceased and the injured has been agonizingly slow, hampered by the severity of the burns sustained by many victims. Families are being asked to provide DNA samples to aid in identification, with some personal effects, like wallets and identification documents, having been completely destroyed. As of Saturday, authorities had formally identified four Swiss victims – a 16-year-old boy and girl, an 18-year-old man, and a 21-year-old woman – and returned their remains to their families. Several injured individuals remain unidentified.
The emotional toll on families is immense. Laetitia Brodard, whose 16-year-old son, Arthur, was at Le Constellation on New Year’s Eve, expressed her desperate search for answers. “I’m looking everywhere. The body of my son is somewhere,” she told reporters Friday. “I want to know where my child is and be by his side. Wherever that may be, be it in the intensive care unit or the morgue.” Her anguish reflects the growing frustration among parents, who are “starting to get tired… and anger is starting to rise,” she shared with French broadcaster BFM TV on Saturday.
Elvira Venturella, an Italian psychologist assisting the families, highlighted the psychological strain of the uncertainty. “It’s a wait that destroys people’s stability,” she explained. “And the more time passes, the more difficult it becomes to accept the uncertainty, not having information.”
As of Saturday, authorities reported 121 injuries, with five individuals still awaiting identification. Fourteen Italian citizens are currently receiving treatment in Swiss hospitals. Italy’s ambassador to Switzerland, Gian Lorenzo Cornado, emphasized the need for accuracy in information dissemination, stating that authorities are committed to sharing details only when they are “accurate and 100% sure.”
The tragedy has drawn an outpouring of grief and support, with mourners leaving flowers and messages at makeshift memorials outside Le Constellation. One handwritten note poignantly read, “RIP you are all our children.”
Swiss Justice Minister Beat Jans acknowledged the public’s demand for answers, stating, “we know that the world needs an answer on this question” regarding whether the tragedy could have been avoided. The investigation continues, with authorities prioritizing the provision of “legitimate answers” to the grieving families.
