Swiss officials have admitted that the ski resort bar where a New Year’s fire killed 40 people had not been checked for fire safety for five years, as authorities moved to ban sparklers from all local venues amid mounting public anger and grief.
The blaze tore through the basement of Le Constellation in the Alpine resort of Crans-Montana in the early hours of January 1, injuring 116 people and killing victims as young as 14. Most of the dead were teenagers from across Europe. Investigators believe the fire was triggered when sparklers (also known as fountain candles or Bengal lights), attached to champagne bottles, were held too close to the ceiling, igniting sound-proofing materials.
FIRE CHECKS MISSED SINCE 2019
Crans-Montana Mayor Nicolas Feraud said no safety inspections were conducted at the bar between 2020 and 2025, despite annual checks being required under local regulations.
“We are profoundly sorry. We did not have an indication that the checks had not been done,” Feraud told reporters, acknowledging a failure to detect the lapse.
“The last inspection in 2019 was positive. At the time, officials considered the foam sound-proofing material on the ceiling acceptable, and a fire alarm was not required due to the bar’s size,” he said.
“There were never any checks on this sound-proofing foam. Our security agents did not consider it necessary,” Feraud added.
FOAM CEILING AND SPARKLERS AT CENTRE OF PROBE
Prosecutors believe the fire was likely caused by sparkling candles igniting the foam-covered ceiling of the basement, allowing flames to spread rapidly through the crowded venue.
Authorities have now banned sparkler candles and similar devices inside all venues in the town, calling the move necessary given preliminary findings.
Investigators are examining whether the sound-proofing material met fire safety standards and whether its use was appropriate in an enclosed space.
BAR EXTENSION APPROVED, INSIDES NOT REVIEWED
Officials said the building housing Le Constellation was constructed in 1977 and that the venue was extended in 2015 after the owner sought permission to add a covered outdoor terrace.
Inspectors assessed the extension after construction was completed, but focused only on the exterior works. Any changes made inside the venue at the time were not examined, the mayor said.
OWNERS UNDER CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION
Swiss prosecutors are investigating the two people who ran the bar on suspicion of offences including homicide by negligence. Police have said the circumstances did not currently warrant their arrest and that there was no flight risk.
Feraud said authorities have also closed another venue operated by the same owners.
Separately, prosecutors in France have opened a parallel enquiry to facilitate coordination with Swiss authorities, a standard step when French citizens are involved in incidents abroad.
COUNCIL ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY, AUDIT ORDERED
Feraud said the municipality had informed higher authorities of the inspection failure and accepted institutional responsibility. “We regret that. We owe it to the families, and we will accept the responsibility,” he said.
The mayor noted that a team of just five inspectors is responsible for monitoring more than 10,000 buildings in the area, including hotels, restaurants and bars.
He said the council moved “immediately” to be transparent once the lapse was discovered and has ordered a full audit of all venues in Crans-Montana, alongside measures to increase the frequency and scope of safety checks.
The tragedy has sparked widespread mourning across Switzerland and Europe, as well as growing public anger over how a packed New Year’s celebration was allowed to take place in a venue that had not undergone a fire safety inspection for half a decade.
Source: India Today
--Agencies
