The owner of a Swiss bar where a New Year's Eve fire killed 40 people has been arrested, as grief turns to anger over the tragedy. Jacques Moretti, who co-owns Le Constellation in Crans-Montana with his wife Jessica, was taken into custody on Friday after questioning by prosecutors in Sion. The couple are under investigation for manslaughter through negligence.
The fire broke out in the early hours of 1 January in the bar's basement, reportedly after sparklers attached to champagne bottles were held too close to a ceiling clad with soundproofing foam. The majority of the victims were teenagers and young adults, with the youngest aged 14. A further 116 people were injured, 83 of whom remain in hospital with severe burns.
Lawyers representing the families of victims have accused investigators of moving too slowly to secure evidence. Romain Jordan and Ronald Asmar, of Geneva-based firm Merkt, claimed the bar's owners deactivated their Instagram and Facebook accounts after the fire, deleting potentially useful material. The couple have denied wrongdoing and pledged full cooperation with the investigation.
In a shocking revelation, the mayor of Crans-Montana, Nicolas Féraud, admitted that no safety inspections had been carried out at the bar since 2019, despite legal requirements for annual checks. He expressed profound regret and promised transparency. The investigation is focusing on renovations, fire-extinguishing systems, escape routes, and the number of people present at the time of the fire.
A national day of mourning was observed on Friday, with a memorial ceremony attended by French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian President Sergio Mattarella. The tragedy has left the country struggling to process the scale of the event, described by one local as 'an incomprehensible nightmare'.
