Hundreds march in silence to honour victims of Swiss bar fire

Hundreds of people have marched in silence to honour the victims of the bar fire in the Swiss Alpine resort of Crans-Montana, which left 40 dead and many severely injured.

Sombre mourners, many with reddened eyes, filed silently out of the Chapelle Saint-Christophe in Crans-Montana to organ music after Mass on Sunday. Some exchanged hugs, others applauded, before joining the silent march up the hill to Le Constellation bar.

Many hundreds of people, some cradling flower bouquets, walked in the dense snaking procession in the bright sunlight past shuttered shops. Up on the mountain overlooking the town, snow machines sent plumes of white flakes into the air.

At the top of the street, in front of Le Constellation that is still largely shielded from view by white screens, the swelling crowd stood in near total silence, some weeping.

They then broke into sustained applause as a stream of mourners and well-wishers deposited flower bouquets at a makeshift memorial piled with flowers, cuddly toys and other tributes.

“We are going through a moment of crushing darkness but we are going through it together,” one speaker said.

During the Mass, the Rev Gilles Cavin spoke of the “terrible uncertainty” for families unsure if their loved ones are among the dead or still alive among the injured. “We pray for their friends hard hit by misery on this day that was meant to be one of festivities and friendship,” he said.

In the crowded pews, a grieving woman listened intently, her hands clasped tightly and sometimes clasping rosary beads, as speakers delivered readings in German, French and Italian.

Despite freezing weather, several hundred followed the Mass on the screen installed outside the church.

Forty people died and 119 were injured in the blaze that broke out at around 1.30am on New Year’s Day at Le Constellation bar. Police have said many of the victims were in their teens to mid-20s.

By Sunday evening, Swiss authorities had identified all of the 40 fatalities.

One of the victims was 16-year old Arthur Brodard, whose mother had been frantically searching for him.

“Our Arthur has now left to party in paradise,” a visibly shaken Laetitia Brodard said in a Facebook story posted on Saturday night.

“We can start our mourning, knowing that he is in peace and in the light.”

Ms Brodard’s frenzied search for her son reflected the desperation of families of the young people missing following the fire, who do not know whether their loved ones are dead or in hospital.

Swiss authorities said the process of identifying victims is particularly hard because of the advanced degree of the burns, requiring the use of DNA samples. Ms Brodard had given her DNA sample to help in the identification process.

In her Facebook post, she thanked those who “testified their compassion, their love” and to those who shared information as she anxiously searched and waited for news of her son.

Meanwhile, Swiss authorities have opened a criminal investigation into the bar managers.

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 on Saturday. The managers have not been named.

Investigators said on Friday they believe sparkling candles stuck on the top of Champagne bottles ignited the fire when they came too close to the ceiling of the crowded bar.

Authorities plan to look into whether sound-dampening material on the ceiling conformed with regulations, and whether the candles were permitted for use in the bar. Officials said they will also look at other safety measures on the premises, including fire extinguishers and escape routes.

Swiss President Guy Parmelin announced a national day of mourning for the victims on January 9.