The owners of Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana have reportedly blamed their staff for the New Year's Eve fire that killed 40 people, as grief turns to anger over the tragedy. Jacques Moretti, who co-owns the bar with his wife Jessica, was arrested on Friday on suspicion of manslaughter through negligence. The couple have denied any wrongdoing, but lawyers for the victims' families say investigators are not moving fast enough.
The fire broke out in the basement of the bar shortly after 1.30am on 1 January, when sparklers attached to champagne bottles were held too close to a ceiling clad with soundproofing foam. A haunting image shared on social media shows a female server sitting on the shoulders of a male colleague holding a bottle with sparklers in each hand before the flames caught the ceiling. The woman was among those who died.
Authorities are focusing on renovations made to the bar, the fire-extinguishing systems and escape routes, as well as the number of people in the building when the fire started. In an astonishing admission on Tuesday, the mayor of Crans-Montana, Nicolas Féraud, said no safety inspections had been made on the premises since 2019, despite the procedure being required by local law.
Lawyers Romain Jordan and Ronald Asmar, representing the families, have accused the bar's owners of deactivating their Instagram and Facebook accounts after the fire, potentially deleting useful evidence. 'This attitude should have alerted the prosecutors immediately,' said Jordan, who was present during the Morettis' questioning on Friday. He claimed authorities initially tried to keep lawyers representing families out of the hearing.
A national day of mourning was observed on Friday, and a memorial ceremony attended by top European officials, including French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian President Sergio Mattarella, was held near Crans-Montana. The death toll stands at 40, with victims mostly in their teens and 20s, and from Switzerland, France and Italy. A further 116 were injured, 83 of whom are still being treated in hospital for severe burns.
