New revelations have emerged about the 24-year-old waitress held responsible for igniting a catastrophic New Year's Eve fire at a Swiss ski resort bar, which claimed 40 lives and left 116 people with severe burns. Cyane Panine, who died in the blaze, had reportedly told her parents she was being made to work 'relentlessly' by the nightclub's owners.
A Tragic Chain of Events
On the night of 1 January, at the Le Constellation bar in the exclusive resort of Crans-Montana, Cyane Panine was filmed performing a champagne stunt. She was sitting on the shoulders of the in-house DJ, 23-year-old Mateo Lesguer, while holding two bottles fitted with sparklers. The pyrotechnics are believed to have set alight flammable acoustic foam in the basement ceiling, triggering an inferno that spread rapidly through the venue.
According to her lawyer, Sophie Haenni, who spoke to German outlet Bild, Ms Panine was 'mentally and physically' exhausted from her work at the nightclub. She was allegedly on the verge of making her 'exploitation' public. Her shift pattern involved working days at the owners' gourmet burger restaurant, Senso, before continuing into the early hours at Le Constellation.
Owners Face Trial as Safety Failures Exposed
The French owners of the bar, Jacques and Jessica Moretti, are now facing trial on multiple charges including manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence, and arson by negligence. Prosecutors argue they failed to ensure basic safety standards.
Ms Panine's legal team insists she was a victim of this negligence. She had reportedly contacted a workers' protection service over her employment conditions and was never informed about the dangers of the ceiling foam or given any safety training. Furthermore, on the night of the fire, she was allegedly sent to the basement by Jessica Moretti to help serve several champagne bottles that had been ordered.
Compounding the danger, Ms Panine was wearing a Dom Pérignon-branded crash helmet with a black visor that severely restricted her vision. A witness stated this was 'at the request' of the bar manager, Jessica Moretti. With her field of view limited, she was unable to see the sparklers touching the ceiling.
Disputed Relationships and Locked Exits
While the Morettis have described Ms Panine as being like a 'step-daughter' and 'sister', her lawyer strongly contests this characterisation. Ms Haenni claims they addressed each other formally in messages and that Ms Panine had complained about 'orders' from Ms Moretti. The waitress had also faced difficulties obtaining her employment contract and proper pay.
In a further damning allegation, investigators found that 34 of the 40 victims died in a stairwell that had been narrowed by a third during renovations overseen by Jacques Moretti in 2015. Ms Panine's parents have also claimed an emergency exit was locked to prevent people from sneaking in, potentially trapping patrons inside.
The aftermath has seen significant legal action. Jessica Moretti is under a travel ban and must report to police daily, while Jacques Moretti is in custody for an initial 90 days, with prosecutors citing a flight risk. The Swiss canton of Valais has since banned pyrotechnic devices in all indoor public venues. A fund has been established to support victims, with each receiving an initial 10,000 Swiss francs (£9,300). The investigation into one of Switzerland's worst modern fire disasters continues.
