The owners of a Swiss bar where 40 people perished in a New Year's Eve fire have provided their most detailed account of the disaster, describing how a waitress they saw as family suffocated behind a locked door.
A Night of Celebration Turns to Tragedy
In the early hours of January 1st at Le Constellation bar in the Alpine ski resort of Crans-Montana, owners Jacques and Jessica Moretti encouraged staff to "get the atmosphere going." This included waitresses placing sparklers in champagne bottles, with some being lifted onto the shoulders of waiters in the bar's basement.
The pyrotechnics are believed to have ignited soundproofing foam in the ceiling, triggering an inferno that, beyond the 40 fatalities, left 116 others with severe burns. The couple gave their statements to the Vallais public prosecutor's office in Sion on Friday.
The Harrowing Discovery and a Locked Door
Jacques Moretti, 49, recounted forcing open the bar's service door from the outside. He discovered waitress Cyane Panine, whom the couple viewed as a stepdaughter, dying amidst "a pile of bodies." He stated he only learned after the fire that this crucial door was "locked from the inside and on a latch," contrary to normal practice.
"I went out onto the patio. All the windows were open," Mr Moretti said. "There were a lot of people there. I tried to get inside but it was impossible. There was far too much smoke." After forcing the locked door open, he found several people unconscious on the floor. "My stepdaughter Cyane was one of them," he said. Cyane, a French national, died within the hour despite resuscitation attempts.
Owners' Accounts and Mounting Legal Charges
Jessica Moretti, 40, interviewed separately, said she had urged Cyane to help bring in more people to liven up the venue. She described seeing an "orange light" before yelling for everyone to evacuate and calling the fire service at 1.28am. She then drove home, a decision her husband said was to protect her from witnessing the tragedy.
The couple now face potential trial on charges including manslaughter and causing bodily harm by negligence. Mr Moretti is currently in custody, while his wife has been bailed with an electronic tag.
In their testimony, the Morettis revealed there was no sprinkler system or fire extinguishers in the bar, and staff received no formal fire safety training. While they claimed the champagne sparklers were used regularly without incident, they admitted the practice of carrying them near the ceiling was not systematic. Most of the deceased were teenagers, including a 14-year-old French boy, raising questions about underage access to the venue.
Cyane Panine's family held her funeral in Sète, France, on Saturday. Her mother, Astrid Panine, said her daughter knew the bar well and headed for the emergency exit, but it was locked. The investigation into the devastating fire continues.
