A criminal investigation has been launched against the managers of Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, after a New Year’s Eve fire killed 40 and injured over 100. Authorities suspect negligence in fire safety and candle use, while families endure agonizing delays in identifying victims.
Swiss authorities have opened a criminal investigation into the managers of the bar where a fire at a New Year’s party left 40 people dead, authorities said Saturday. The two are suspected of involuntary homicide, involuntary bodily harm and involuntarily causing a fire, the Valais region’s chief prosecutor, Beatrice Pilloud, told reporters. She said the investigation was opened on Friday night and that it would help “explore all the leads.” The announcement of the investigation did not name the managers.
More than 100 other people were injured in the blaze that broke out around 1:30 a.m. on Thursday at Le Constellation bar in the Alpine resort town of Crans-Montana. Police have said many were in their teens to mid-20s. The process of identifying the dead and injured continued on Saturday, leading to an agonizing wait for relatives.
Investigators said Friday they believe sparkling candles atop Champagne bottles ignited the fire when they came too close to the ceiling of the crowded bar. “The world needs an answer,” said Swiss Justice Minister Beat Jans, acknowledging the public’s demand for accountability.
The Fire’s Origin and Safety Failures
Authorities are examining whether sound-dampening material on the ceiling conformed with regulations and whether the candles were permitted for use in the bar. Officials said they also would look at other safety measures on the premises, including fire extinguishers and escape routes. “Such a huge accident with a fire in Switzerland means that something didn’t work — maybe the material, maybe the organization on the spot,” said Valais region’s top security official Stéphane Ganzer. “Something didn’t work and someone made a mistake, I am sure of that.”
The investigation is expected to scrutinize whether safety protocols were followed, including the use of flammable materials and the adequacy of emergency exits. The Valais region’s prosecutor emphasized that the probe would “explore all the leads,” signaling a comprehensive approach to accountability.
Identifying the Dead: A Humanitarian Crisis
The severity of burns has made it difficult to identify the dead and injured, requiring families to supply authorities with DNA samples. In some cases, wallets and any identification documents inside were turned to ash. On Saturday, regional police said the bodies of four victims — a boy and a girl, both 16, an 18-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman, all of them Swiss — had been identified and handed over to their families.
Several injured people still haven’t been identified. Laetitia Brodard, whose 16-year-old son, Arthur, went to Le Constellation to celebrate the New Year, held out hope that he might be one of them. “I’m looking everywhere. The body of my son is somewhere,” Brodard told reporters Friday evening. “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.”
On Saturday, she told French broadcaster BFM TV that “we, parents, are starting to get tired … and anger is starting to rise.” “It’s a wait that destroys people’s stability,” said Elvira Venturella, an Italian psychologist working with the families. “And the more time passes, the more difficult it becomes to accept the uncertainty, not having information.”
Swiss officials said Friday that 119 people were injured and 113 had been formally identified. On Saturday, Italy’s ambassador to Switzerland, Gian Lorenzo Cornado, told reporters he had just been briefed by local authorities that the number of injured stood at 121, with five not yet identified. He said 14 Italians were being treated in hospitals. Cornado acknowledged “a lot of stress,” but said it was right for authorities to share information only when it is “accurate and 100% sure.”
International Response and Human Toll
Swiss police have said the injured included more than 70 Swiss nationals and over 10 each from France and Italy, along with citizens of Serbia, Bosnia, Luxembourg, Belgium, Portugal and Poland. The tragedy has prompted an international response, with diplomatic officials expressing concern and support for the affected families.
Swiss officials said Friday that 119 people were injured and 113 had been formally identified. On Saturday, Italy’s ambassador to Switzerland, Gian Lorenzo Cornado, told reporters he had just been briefed by local authorities that the number of injured stood at 121, with five not yet identified. He said 14 Italians were being treated in hospitals. Cornado acknowledged “a lot of stress,” but said it was right for authorities to share information only when it is “accurate and 100% sure.”
Ganzer, visiting the site along with Jans, called the families’ wait “unbearable,” and said officials’ top priority was providing them the “legitimate answers they are waiting for.” “It’s a wait that destroys people’s stability,” said Elvira Venturella, an Italian psychologist working with the families. “And the more time passes, the more difficult it becomes to accept the uncertainty, not having information.”
Why This Matters: A National and Global Safety Imperative
The Le Constellation fire is not merely a local tragedy — it is a national reckoning for Switzerland’s safety regulations and a global reminder of the human cost of negligence. The investigation into the managers’ actions will likely set a precedent for how similar incidents are handled in the future. It also underscores the urgent need for improved fire safety standards in crowded public venues, particularly during high-risk events like New Year’s Eve celebrations.
“The world needs an answer,” said Swiss Justice Minister Beat Jans, acknowledging the public’s demand for accountability. The tragedy has sparked widespread debate about the adequacy of safety measures in nightlife venues and the responsibilities of management in preventing disasters. The investigation is expected to yield findings that could lead to policy changes and stricter enforcement of safety codes across the country.
As families continue to wait for answers, the emotional toll is mounting. “We, parents, are starting to get tired … and anger is starting to rise,” said Laetitia Brodard. “It’s a wait that destroys people’s stability.” The tragedy has galvanized communities, with mourners and well-wishers bearing flowers to makeshift memorials outside the bar, consoling one another with hugs as they shed tears. “RIP you are all our children,” one handwritten note said.
For now, the focus remains on the investigation and the identification of the dead and injured. As Swiss authorities work to uncover the full scope of what went wrong, the world watches — and waits — for accountability.
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