Swiss bar tragedy: Owners face criminal probe; charged with manslaughter, arson

Swiss authorities opened a criminal investigation into the managers of a bar in the ski resort town of Crans-Montana after a devastating New Year’s Eve fire that killed dozens of people.

The blaze broke out at around 1:30 am on Thursday at the Le Constellation Bar, which was crowded with young revellers celebrating the new year. Forty people were killed and 119 others were injured, most of them seriously, according to the latest official figures.


“A criminal investigation was opened last night against the two managers of the bar,” police and the public prosecutor’s office in the southwestern Swiss canton of Wallis said in a statement.

“They are charged with manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence and arson by negligence.”

The statement added that “the presumption of innocence applies until a final conviction is handed down”.

The bar was owned and managed by a French couple, Jacques and Jessica Moretti. Since the tragedy, there has been growing debate over whether safety standards were respected at the venue.

According to the Crans-Montana website, the bar had a capacity of 300 people, plus 40 on its terrace. Jacques Moretti told Swiss media on Friday that all safety rules had been followed.

However, Wallis chief prosecutor Beatrice Pilloud said safety standards were among the key elements being examined. She told reporters that the main hypothesis was that “sparklers or Bengal candles attached to champagne bottles and lifted too close to the ceiling” had triggered the fire.

Videos shared on social media showed the bar’s low wooden ceiling, covered with soundproofing foam, catching fire and flames spreading quickly. In the footage, revellers continued to dance, seemingly unaware of the danger.

Several witnesses said the event space in the basement, where the fire started, was linked to the ground floor by only one staircase, which some described as “narrow”.