The mayor of Crans‑Montana in the Swiss Alps announced Tuesday that the bar where a deadly New Year’s fire killed 40 people and injured more than 100 had not undergone mandatory safety inspections in the last five years. Contrary to regulations, the last inspection — which might have prevented the disaster — took place in 2019, municipal officials said.
“We are deeply sorry; we had no indication that the checks had not been done as requested," Crans-Montana Mayor Nicolas Feraud told reporters,” Crans‑Montana mayor Nicolas Féraud said in an update on the investigation into the blaze at Le Constellation bar. He noted that such inspections, which include fire safety checks, should be conducted annually.
Fire spreads through the ceiling and crowds flee: disaster in Swiss ski town bar
The fire occurred in the early hours between Wednesday and Thursday on New Year's Eve. Shortly after midnight, waitresses entered the crowded basement bar with bottles of champagne fitted with sparklers. At least one sparkler was held too close to the ceiling, reportedly by a waitress lifted on a colleague’s shoulders, igniting the ceiling and sparking a fast‑moving blaze.
The ceiling was covered with acoustic foam panels, a combustible material designed for sound insulation. Officials said that when the foam was installed, it was considered standard practice and, because of the bar’s size, smoke detectors were not required. In September, an external expert inspected the foam’s insulation properties and confirmed compliance with noise‑prevention standards without noting fire safety issues, the mayor said.
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Fire spreads unchecked through Le Constellation bar in the Swiss Alps on New Year's Eve
Feraud was asked why no safety testing was done to determine whether the acoustic foam was fire‑safe. "These soundproof panels have never been inspected, as our safety managers apparently did not deem it necessary," he said.
He said the law does not oblige authorities to verify such materials, but "the courts will have to determine whether this should have been done regardless."
Investigators are also examining whether the bar owners had approval to use sparklers. Two owners are suspected of negligent homicide; police said they are not currently detained as there is no flight risk.
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Mourning the victims of the fire at a bar in the Swiss Alps
(Photo: Stephanie Lecocq/Pool via AP)
Under tough questioning, Feraud acknowledged the town’s failures, calling the past week “very difficult on a personal level” and promising never to forget the tragedy and the grief of the families. He apologized but said he would not resign, adding that judges will ultimately decide whether the local council bears responsibility as part of the ongoing criminal investigation.
Graphic videos from the fire show flames spreading across the wooden ceiling as patrons, unaware of the danger, filmed or watched before fleeing up stairs. Other footage shows young people trapped and engulfed in flames, desperately trying to escape through windows amid screams.
The first moments of the fire at the bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland
Earlier this week, during the agonizing process of identifying the victims of the disaster, it was announced that the bodies of 15-year-old Charlotte Needham, a French and British citizen who also holds Israeli citizenship, and of Jewish sisters Alicia and Diana Gunst, ages 15 and 14 from Italy, had been found and identified.