The owner of a Swiss bar where a devastating fire killed 40 people and injured 116 on New Year's Day has described his desperate, hour-long attempt to save the life of a young waitress he considered family.
"The Tragedy of My Life": Owner's Heartbreaking Testimony
In statements to investigators reported ten days after the disaster, Jacques Moretti, 49, detailed the frantic efforts he and the waitress's boyfriend made to revive 24-year-old Cyane P on the street outside Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana. "I raised a child as if she were my own," Mr Moretti told prosecutors, according to BFM TV. "[Her boyfriend] and I tried to revive her on the street for over an hour until the paramedics told us it was too late."
Mr Moretti, who was at another of his businesses named Senso, rushed to the bar after receiving an eleven-second panicked call from his wife Jessica at around 1.28 a.m. on 1 January. He described arriving to find the entrance impassable due to smoke and a back door locked from the inside, which he forced open with two others.
Charges and the Chain of Events
The couple, who bought the bar in 2015 and renovated it extensively, now face serious charges including manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence, and arson by negligence. Jacques Moretti was placed in pre-trial detention after giving his testimony on Friday, 9 January, while his wife was questioned and released.
Jessica Moretti, 40, was inside the bar when the fire broke out at approximately 1.30 a.m., about 90 minutes after patrons had welcomed the New Year. She reportedly told investigators, "Suddenly I felt a movement in the crowd. I saw an orange light in the corner of the bar. I immediately shouted, 'Everyone out!' and alerted the fire department."
Prosecutors believe the blaze originated in the basement when champagne bottles with party sparklers attached were raised too close to sound insulation foam on the ceiling. Experts suggest the highly-flammable foam may have caused a catastrophic "flashover," where materials ignite simultaneously.
Safety Scrutiny and Overwhelming Grief
The investigation is focusing on safety measures at the venue. Mr Moretti stated that while fire inspections occurred, no automatic sprinkler system was installed and staff had not received specific fire safety training. He claimed they refused entry to under-16s and required adults to accompany 16 to 18-year-olds, but conceded mistakes could happen.
The human toll is staggering. The fire killed 40 people, including 20 children some as young as 14, and injured 116. Victims hailed from 19 different nationalities, with 83 still hospitalised. The community held an official memorial on Friday, attended by around 1,000 people including French President Emmanuel Macron.
Outside the prosecutor's office, a sobbing Jessica Moretti said, "My constant thoughts are with the victims... It is an unimaginable tragedy. Never, ever could we have imagined this. It happened in our establishment and I want to apologise." Her husband added, "I feel responsible because I couldn't protect all the victims. This is the tragedy of my life."
