Bar owners face new scrutiny over fire at Swiss ski resort
The disaster claimed 41 lives, most of them teenagers, and left 115 others injured.
A deadly New Year’s fire that tore through a Swiss ski-resort bar and left 41 people dead is back at the center of the investigation, with the venue’s owners set to face another round of questioning.
French owners Jacques and Jessica Moretti were due to be cross-examined by public prosecutors and lawyers representing civil parties over the blaze that swept through Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana in the early hours of 1 January.
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The disaster claimed 41 lives, most of them teenagers, and left 115 others injured.
“The format of the cross-examination is at the discretion of the prosecutors: any form is possible,” said Romain Jordan, one of the lawyers acting for civil parties.
“Our expectation remains the same: to get answers, to know the truth and all the responsibilities, so that this can never happen again.
“This hearing is the last opportunity offered to the Morettis to tell the truth, the whole truth; the victims need this, for their grieving process and for their recovery,” he said.
The fire left 41 people dead, most of them teenagers, and wounded 115 others
The Morettis are charged with manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence and arson by negligence.
Jacques Moretti had been scheduled to appear for further questioning on April 7, but that hearing was delayed for medical reasons.
The couple have already been questioned twice since criminal proceedings were launched against them in the days following the blaze.
Mr Moretti spent two weeks in custody in January before being released on bail.
He and his wife have also been prohibited from leaving the country, along with other restrictive measures.
Altogether, 14 people are under criminal investigation over the disaster
Altogether, 14 people are under criminal investigation over the disaster, among them several current and former local officials.
No annual municipal safety inspections had been carried out at the bar since 2019.
The hearings are being held in Sion, the capital of the mountainous southwest Swiss canton of Wallis.
The investigation is examining, among other issues, how local authorities responded, what fire-prevention steps were taken by the owners and the precise chain of events that led to the fatal blaze.
Prosecutors say the fire began when champagne bottles fitted with sparklers were lifted too close to the ceiling in the bar’s basement, setting the soundproofing foam alight.
Seventeen of those who died were aged 16 or younger.
Most of the victims were Swiss, though the dead also included several foreign nationals, among them French and Italian citizens.
