Swiss prosecutors request detention of male bar manager over fatal resort fire

Swiss prosecutors have requested that the male bar manager of Le Constellation, in the Alpine resort of Crans-Montana, be placed in pre-trial detention over the fatal fire in which 40 people died.

The chief prosecutor in the Valais region, Beatrice Pilloud, said the detention of one of the bar’s two managers was needed to avoid a “risk of flight”.

The man’s wife and co-manager will remain free under judicial supervision, the statement said.

A Swiss business register lists French couple Jacques and Jessica Moretti as the owners of the bar.

Swiss authorities have opened a criminal investigation into the managers, who are suspected of involuntary homicide, involuntary bodily harm and involuntarily causing a fire.

The announcement came as Switzerland held a national day of mourning for those people who died during the New Year’s Eve celebration.

The day was marked by a memorial service and a minute’s silence, while church bells across Switzerland rang for five minutes, beginning at 2pm.

The fire broke out less than two hours after midnight at the Le Constellation bar, in the resort town of Crans-Montana, on January 1.

As well as the fatalities, 116 people were injured, many of them seriously.

Speaking at the memorial ceremony in Martigny, Swiss President Guy Parmelin said that “the memory of that terrible night illuminates the faces of the 156 victims, their happy days, their carefree spirit”.

He added: “Our country is appalled by this tragedy. It bows before the memory of those who are no longer with us. It stands by the bedside of those who are about to embark on a long road to recovery.”

Investigators have said they believe sparkling candles on the top of champagne bottles ignited the fire when they came too close to the ceiling.

Authorities are looking into whether soundproofing material on the ceiling conformed with regulations and whether the candles were permitted for use in the bar. Fire safety inspections had not been carried out since 2019.

The severity of burns made it difficult to identify some victims, requiring families to supply authorities with DNA samples. Police have said many of the victims were in their teens to mid-20s.

The Rome prosecutor’s office has also opened an investigation into the blaze, alleging manslaughter and arson, Italian media reported on Thursday.

An autopsy has been ordered for five of the six Italian victims and has been delegated to the prosecutors’ offices in Milan, Bologna and Genoa, where the bodies of the victims have been returned.

“What happened is not a disaster: It’s the result of too many people who didn’t do their job or who thought they were making easy money,” Italian premier Giorgia Meloni said during a press conference on Friday. “Those responsible must be identified and prosecuted.”

Ms Meloni said the State Attorney General’s Office has contacted the Swiss Attorney General to follow the investigation and confirmed that the Rome Prosecutor’s Office has started a separate probe.

“The families have my word that they will not be left alone while they seek justice,” she added.

The Paris prosecutor’s office on Monday announced that it was opening a probe to assist the Swiss investigation and make it easier for families of French victims to communicate with Swiss investigators.

Nine French citizens were killed, the youngest of them aged 14, and 23 others were injured.