A solemn Mass was held on Sunday for the victims of the devastating New Year's Eve bar fire in the Swiss Alpine resort of Crans-Montana, which claimed 40 lives and left many severely injured. Distraught parents, some still awaiting news of their children, joined teenagers and police officers in shared grief, beginning the arduous process of mourning.
The service, held at the Chapelle St-Christophe in Crans-Montana, saw attendees comforting one another. Inside the crowded pews, a grieving woman listened intently, her hands clasped, occasionally clutching rosary beads, as readings were delivered in German, French, and Italian. Despite freezing temperatures, hundreds more followed the Mass on a screen installed outside the church.
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.
Forty people died and 119 were injured in the blaze that broke out around 1:30 a.m. on Thursday at Le Constellation bar. Police have said many of the victims were in their teens to mid-20s. By Sunday morning, Swiss authorities identified 24 out of the 40 fatalities, including 18 Swiss citizens aged 14 to 31 years, two Italians 16 years old, one dual citizen of Italy and the United Arab Emirates also 16 years old, an 18-year-old Romanian, a 39-year-old French and a Turkish citizen, 18.
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, speaking to camera. “We can start our mourning, knowing that he is in peace and in the light.” Brodard's frenzied search for her son reflected the desperation of families of the young people disappeared during the fire, who did not know whether their loved ones were dead or in the hospital.
Swiss authorities have opened a criminal investigation of 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 Saturday. Investigators said Friday they believe sparkling candles atop Champagne bottles ignited the fire when they came too close to the ceiling of the crowded bar. Authorities planned to look into whether sound-dampening material on the ceiling conformed with regulations and whether the candles were permitted for use in the bar.
