Police in Switzerland have confirmed that all 116 people injured in the devastating fire at a ski resort bar on New Year's Eve have now been identified. The blaze at the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana claimed 40 lives, most of them young partygoers.
Victim Identification and Nationalities
Authorities in Valais canton revised the initial injury count down from 119, stating that three people treated at accident and emergency wards on the morning of the fire had been incorrectly recorded as victims of the incident. The final death toll stands at 40, with the last of the victims identified this past Sunday.
Among the injured were 68 Swiss citizens, 21 French nationals, 10 Italians, four Serbs, and four dual nationals. Two Poles and one person each from seven other countries were also hurt. Eighty-three people remain in hospital receiving treatment for severe burns.
The victims who died ranged in age from 14 to 39, with an average age of just 19. Twenty of those who lost their lives were minors. The deceased included 21 Swiss nationals, nine French citizens (including two dual nationals), six Italians, and one person each from Belgium, Portugal, Romania, and Turkey.
Repatriation and Mounting Pressure
The process of repatriating foreign victims began on Monday. The bodies of five of the six Italian nationals who died were flown from Sion airport to Italy. A solemn ceremony saw four Swiss police officers carry each coffin onto an Italian transport plane.
The aircraft was scheduled to land in Milan, where the bodies of Achille Barosi, Chiara Costanzo, Giovanni Tamburi, and Emanuele Galeppini were to be received by officials and grieving relatives. It would then continue to Rome with the coffin of Riccardo Minghetti. The sixth Italian victim, Sofia Prosperi, who lived in Switzerland, will be buried there.
Italian ambassador to Switzerland, Gian Lorenzo Cornado, pledged close cooperation with Swiss authorities, stating the investigation must establish the truth swiftly and ensure justice is served.
Pressure is intensifying on authorities to explain how the tragedy occurred. The public prosecutor has opened an investigation into the bar's owners, French nationals Jacques and Jessica Moretti, on suspicion of crimes including homicide by negligence. While not currently under arrest, Swiss media has questioned why the couple remain free.
Cause of the Fire and Ongoing Questions
Investigators believe the fire started in the bar's crowded basement. Preliminary evidence suggests sparklers attached to champagne bottles were held too close to the ceiling, which social media images indicate was clad with soundproofing foam, igniting the blaze.
Significant questions remain unanswered. Swiss newspapers have highlighted concerns about age verification at the venue, the type of soundproofing material used, and the regulations governing the use of pyrotechnic 'Bengal fountains'.
Jacques Moretti has defended the establishment, stating Le Constellation had been inspected three times in a decade and was fully compliant with rules. Local officials in Crans-Montana have said no defects had been reported prior to the fire. The municipality has joined the criminal proceedings as a civil party to help establish all facts.
The town will hold a memorial ceremony for the victims on Friday, which French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to attend.
