Authorities revealed on Tuesday that safety inspections had not been conducted at a bar for several years prior to a tragic fire during a New Year’s celebration that resulted in 40 fatalities and over 100 injuries. Investigators indicated that the blaze at Le Constellation in Crans-Montana was likely started by festive candles placed atop champagne bottles, which ignited when they came into proximity with the ceiling. Questions are being raised regarding the compliance of soundproofing materials on the ceiling with regulations and whether the use of candles was allowed in the establishment.
A criminal investigation has been initiated against the bar managers by Swiss authorities. The managers are facing charges of involuntary homicide, involuntary bodily harm, and inadvertently causing a fire, according to the chief prosecutor of the Valais region.
Local authorities stated that safety inspections were the responsibility of the municipality. The head of Crans-Montana’s municipal government, Nicolas Féraud, disclosed that inspections were carried out at Le Constellation until 2019. However, it was discovered post-fire that no periodic checks had been conducted between 2020 and 2025, a fact that Féraud expressed deep regret over.
During a press conference, Féraud admitted the lack of safety inspections over the years was puzzling. He mentioned that an external expert had assessed the bar’s compliance with anti-noise regulations in September of the previous year, without any significant observations made.
Identifying the victims of the fire proved challenging due to severe burns, requiring families to provide DNA samples for identification. Authorities confirmed the identification of all 40 deceased individuals on Sunday, along with all 116 injured persons by Monday.
Reports from previous inspections indicated a maximum capacity of 100 individuals on the bar’s ground floor and another 100 in the basement. The actual number of occupants during the fire remains unknown, and investigators suggest it may remain so.
The mayor of Crans-Montana says that there hadn’t been a safety inspection since 2019 at the Swiss bar where 40 people died and more than 100 others were injured in a fire on New Year’s Eve.