- The move follows earlier revelations about potential safety failures at the Le Constellation bar
- The expanded inquiry now includes several local officials responsible for safety oversight
Swiss prosecutors have widened their criminal investigation into the deadly New Year bar fire in Crans-Montana to include five current and former municipal officials, marking the latest development in the case that has already prompted scrutiny of fire safety practices and calls for regulatory changes.
The move follows earlier revelations about potential safety failures at the Le Constellation bar and growing political pressure after the disaster, which killed 41 people and injured more than 100 during a New Year’s celebration in the Alpine resort. Many of the victims were teenagers.
According to prosecutors in the Swiss canton of Valais, the expanded inquiry now includes several local officials responsible for safety oversight, as investigators examine whether regulatory obligations were properly enforced before the fire.
The investigation had previously focused on the venue’s operators, French couple Jacques and Jessica Moretti, who are suspected of manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence and negligent arson.
Authorities believe the blaze began in the early hours of January 1 when sparklers attached to champagne bottles were raised too close to the ceiling, igniting sound-insulating foam panels and causing a rapid fire spread through the crowded basement bar.
The role of the acoustic foam has been a central line of inquiry. Investigators are assessing whether the material complied with safety regulations and whether it contributed to the speed at which the fire spread through the venue.
Questions have also been raised over inspection regimes after it emerged that the bar had not undergone its required annual safety checks since 2019, a lapse that drew strong criticism from victims’ families and local residents.
The tragedy has already prompted a broader debate across Switzerland about fire safety in entertainment venues. Several cantons have begun considering restrictions on indoor pyrotechnics and similar devices commonly used in nightlife settings, amid concerns about their role in the blaze.
Prosecutors say the expanded investigation will examine whether safety regulations were followed, what role municipal oversight may have played and whether any individuals bear criminal responsibility.
The fire is one of the deadliest incidents of its kind in Switzerland in decades and has triggered parallel legal inquiries in other countries after foreign nationals were among the victims.
