Swiss authorities admit no fire inspections for five years at a bar where 40 died, as a New Year sparkler is blamed for the blaze that also injured 116 people.
CRANS-MONTANA: Swiss authorities have admitted that no fire safety inspections were conducted for five years at a bar where 40 people died in a New Year’s Eve blaze.
Mayor Nicolas Feraud expressed bitter regret over the failure at a press conference in the Alpine ski resort.
The fire at Le Constellation bar is believed to have started when revellers’ champagne sparklers ignited soundproofing foam on the basement ceiling.
A municipal statement confirmed it had reviewed all documents submitted to the public prosecutor.
It detailed administrative procedures relating to the establishment’s compliance.
“Although more than 1,400 fire inspections were carried out in the municipality in 2025 alone, the municipal council deeply regrets discovering that this establishment had failed to undergo periodic inspections between 2020 and 2025,” the statement said.
The council has pledged to commission an external agency to inspect all public venues and will ban the use of pyrotechnic devices indoors.
The municipality said its thoughts remain with the victims and their families, vowing to do everything possible to prevent a repeat of the tragedy.
Police have identified all 116 people injured in the fire, with 83 still receiving treatment in hospital.
The average age of those killed was 19.
