Swiss

A Swiss court has released on bail the co-owner of Le Constellation, the Crans-Montana bar where a New Year’s Day fire killed 40 people and injured 116, as investigators probe possible negligent offenses in one of the country’s deadliest recent nightlife disasters. The Compulsory Measures Court in the canton of Valais said it lifted the detention of Jacques Moretti, 49, after bail of 200,000 Swiss francs (about €215,600) was posted on his behalf. Moretti, a French national who co-owns the venue with his wife, Jessica, 39,…

A Swiss court has ordered that the co-owner of a bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana that caught fire on New Year’s Day, killing 40 people, must remain in custody as the criminal investigation proceeds. In a statement, the court said Jacques Moretti will be held for a provisional period of three months. The order can be reviewed if measures are taken to reduce the risk of flight, including the possibility of a security deposit. Prosecutors in the Valais canton initially ordered Moretti’s detention on Friday after a…

Crans-Montana’s mayor said no official safety inspections were carried out at the Swiss bar where a New Year’s fire killed 40 people and injured 116, acknowledging systemic failures as the Alpine resort town prepares for a national day of mourning. “Periodic inspections were not conducted between 2020 and 2025. We bitterly regret this,” Mayor Nicolas Feraud told reporters five days after the blaze tore through Le Constellation bar in the early hours of Jan. 1. “We are profoundly sorry. We did not have an indication that the…

Skiers in Crans-Montana formed a heart on a snowy slope in a powerful tribute to the victims of the New Year’s Eve blaze at the “Le Constellation” bar, where 40 people were killed and 119 others were injured, many of them severely. The heart-shaped formation, captured on video, became a focal symbol of collective mourning in the ski community after the deadliest nightclub fire in years. Organizers and participants aligned themselves across the piste, their tracks drawing a clear, white outline visible from above — a quiet…

CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland — Swiss authorities said they have identified all 40 people killed in a New Year’s Day bar fire at this Alpine ski resort, intensifying pressure for answers as prosecutors investigate potential lapses in safety at the popular nightlife spot. Most of the victims were teenagers. Prosecutors in the canton of Valais said the blaze, which spread rapidly in the early hours of Jan. 1 in the basement of Le Constellation bar, was likely ignited by sparkling “fountain” candles that caught the ceiling alight.…

Swiss police have identified the bodies of four Swiss victims, including two minors, from the New Year’s bar fire that tore through Le Constellation in the Alpine resort of Crans-Montana, as the national death toll rose to 40 and families braced for further grim confirmations. Valais canton police said investigators identified a 21-year-old woman, an 18-year-old man, a 16-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy. Their remains have been returned to their families while authorities continue the painstaking process of confirming…

Swiss investigators are working to identify victims following a fire, launching a meticulous forensic process that typically involves DNA analysis, dental records and fingerprint matching. Authorities have not released further details about the incident, but the identification effort signals that officials are now focused on confirming who was caught in the blaze and notifying families. Forensic teams in Switzerland generally coordinate with cantonal police, medical examiners and prosecutors to establish identities and…

CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland — Swiss authorities are working to identify victims after a pre-dawn fire tore through Le Constellation, a popular bar in this Alpine resort town, turning New Year’s celebrations into a national tragedy and leaving more than 100 people injured. The first confirmed victim is 16-year-old Emanuele Galeppini, an Italian international golfer who had been living in Dubai, the Italian Golf Federation said. Galeppini was in Crans-Montana with his family and had gone to the bar with two friends, who escaped…

Fatal fire labeled ‘one of worst tragedies’ in Swiss history A fatal fire in Switzerland has been described as “one of the worst tragedies” in the country’s history, according to live updates from Europe. Immediate details remained scarce as authorities worked to confirm the scope of the disaster. Officials had not released the location of the blaze, a death toll or information about the cause at the time of the initial reports. The characterization underscores the severity of the incident and indicates a significant loss of…

CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland — Several people were killed and others injured after an explosion and fire tore through a bar in the luxury Alpine ski resort of Crans-Montana early Monday, Swiss police said. A police spokesman for Wallis canton in southwestern Switzerland said the blast was of unknown origin and occurred at about 1:30 a.m. local time (3 a.m. Irish time). The incident struck Le Constellation, a popular nightspot, as revelers marked the New Year. Authorities said there were “several injured, and several dead.”…