The bar where a fire occurred during a New Year’s party, resulting in 40 fatalities and over 100 injuries, had not undergone fire safety inspections for several years, as per local authorities’ statement on Tuesday.
Authorities suspect that the fire at Le Constellation in Crans-Montana was ignited by festive sparkling candles placed on champagne bottles that came into contact with the ceiling. They are investigating whether the ceiling’s soundproofing material met regulations and if the use of candles in the bar was allowed.
Swiss officials have launched a criminal probe against the bar managers for involuntary homicide, involuntary bodily harm, and causing a fire unintentionally, as stated by the chief prosecutor of the Valais region.
The responsibility for safety inspections lay with the municipality, according to regional officials. Nicolas Féraud, the head of the municipal government in Crans-Montana, disclosed that inspections at Le Constellation were conducted until 2019. However, it was revealed after the fire that no periodic checks were made between 2020 and 2025.
“We deeply regret this,” Féraud expressed, emphasizing that the judicial authorities would determine the impact of the lack of inspections on the fire’s tragic outcome.
Féraud admitted the puzzling absence of safety inspections over such a prolonged period. He mentioned that an external expert had confirmed the bar’s compliance with anti-noise regulations following a soundproofing analysis in September last year.
The severity of injuries from the fire made it challenging to identify some victims, necessitating families to provide DNA samples to assist in the identification process.
Investigators completed the identification of the 40 deceased individuals on Sunday and confirmed that all 116 injured persons had been identified by Monday.
Reports from previous inspections indicated a maximum capacity of 100 individuals on each floor of the bar. The exact number of people present during the fire remains unknown and may never be accurately determined.