Swiss ski bar hadn't had fire safety inspections for years as officials introduce major new ban
A Swiss bar which caught fire amid New Year celebrations, killing 40 people and injuring 116, hadn’t had a fire safety inspection in half a decade, local officials have confirmed.
In the early hours of 1 January, Le Constellation, a bar in the ski-resort town of Crans-Montana, Valais, Switzerland, was set ablaze from the inside.
Mayor Nicolas Féraud explained during a press conference that sparklers are believed to have caused the fire when they were raised close to the ceiling in champagne bottles.
Despite the assessment made by the head of Crans-Montana's municipal government, authorities continue to probe into what caused one of the country’s deadliest nightclub fires in decades, which is said to have broken out at around 1.30am, as per CBS News.
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Experts will also begin assessing several elements which may have impacted the devastating event, including soundproof foam being placed in the ceiling, compliance with standards for access, and emergency exits in the basement, BBC reported.
As a result, sparklers have been banned in other venues across the town.
In a statement, Jacques Moretti and his wife Jessica, who own the popular Swiss bar, claimed they could neither 'sleep nor eat' following the accident.
They told local publication 20 Minutes: "Everything had been done according to regulation.
"We will do everything we can to help clarify the causes. We are doing everything in our power. Our lawyers are also involved."
During the 6 January press conference, Féraud revealed that general inspections, including fire safety checks, hadn’t been carried out at Le Constellation since 2019.
People reported that officials had also visited the bar in 2016 and 2018, and that certain modification requests had been made.
In September 2025, an external expert reviewed the bar’s soundproofing and concluded it complied with anti-noise regulations, without flagging additional concerns, the outlet stated.
However, after reviewing documents following the tragedy, officials discovered that ‘periodic checks were not carried out between 2020 and 2025,’ according to Féraud.
“I have no answer for you today,” he said when asked about how the lapse came about. “We regret this bitterly.
“We owe it to the families, and we will accept responsibility.”
The official said that judicial authorities will now work to determine what impact the lack of testing may have caused.
He added that it would also be ‘down to the judges’ to decide whether members of the local authority would be included in a criminal investigation, which has already been opened by Swiss prosecutors.
Two bar managers are under criminal investigation, suspected of manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence and arson by negligence, the prosecutors' office in Valais said.
Police confirmed to Reuters that the circumstances did not currently merit the pair being put under arrest, and that they did not see a flight risk.
Féraud claimed that managers of Le Constellation may have allowed too many people into the 200-person capacity nightclub.
Officials are yet to determine the true headcount inside the two-floor venue.
It was noted in the press conference that all 40 victims of the Swiss bar blaze have been identified, along with the 116 injured people.
Some burn victims had to be transferred to facilities in neighbouring countries, including France.
“This evening should have been a moment of celebration,” State Councillor Mathias Reynard said, “but it turned into a nightmare felt across the country and beyond.”
As a result of the blaze, local authorities are now drafting in an external contractor to inspect and audit all 128 venues in the Crans-Montana area, according to the BBC.
Ella Scott