Swiss bar fire probe focuses on sparklers and ceiling materials after new year tragedy

INVESTIGATORS Crans-Montana, Switzerland are focusing on the use of sparklers and interior materials as they examine the cause of a deadly fire that tore through a basement bar during New Year celebrations in the Swiss resort town of Crans-Montana, killing at least 40 people.

Reuters reported on Saturday Valais chief prosecutor Beatrice Pilloud saying preliminary findings suggest the fire started when sparkling “fountain candles” were brought too close to the ceiling during celebrations at the Le Constellation bar.

“From there, a rapid, very rapid and widespread blaze ensued,” she said on Friday, adding that further investigations would determine whether criminal liability arises from the incident.

Witnesses told investigators they saw staff carrying sparklers placed on bottles of champagne shortly before the fire erupted. Questions have also been raised about a foam material used to soundproof the ceiling of the basement dance floor, where revellers had gathered.

Although police arrived swiftly, the intensity of the blaze caused severe burns, complicating identification efforts. Investigators said it would take several days to formally identify all the victims.

So far, only one victim has been officially named: teenage Italian international golfer Emanuele Galeppini. Two people familiar with the investigation said some of those killed may have been under the age of 16.

Local residents described Le Constellation as a popular venue among young people. Swiss authorities said many of those who died were likely youths, noting that beer and wine can legally be consumed from the age of 16 in Switzerland.

One of the bar’s owners, Jacques Moretti, told Tribune de Genève that the premises had been inspected three times over the past decade and that “everything was done according to the rules”. Reuters said it was not immediately able to reach the bar’s owners for comment.

Stephane Ganzer, Valais’ head of security, said the investigation would assess whether the bar had undergone its required annual building inspections. He added that the town itself had not raised concerns or reported defects to cantonal authorities.

As investigations continued, residents gathered near the cordoned-off site to lay flowers and pay tribute to the victims, even as police began reopening parts of the area surrounding the bar in the centre of the affluent mountain town.

Ashley Hauri, 23, said she had almost gone to Le Constellation on the night of the fire to meet friends but decided not to at the last moment. Six of her former colleagues, aged from their 20s to their 40s, were inside when the blaze broke out.

Two of them were hospitalised, while four remain missing.

“I was really shocked,” Hauri said. “But I had no answers, and I was really scared and panicked because I wanted to do something.”

As the community mourns, authorities say the investigation will determine whether failures in oversight, safety measures or inspections contributed to one of Switzerland’s deadliest nightclub fires in recent memory. - January 3, 2025