All 40 victims of a Swiss ski resort bar fire are identified, with half under 18. A national day of mourning is planned as a criminal investigation continues
CRANS-MONTANA: All 40 people killed in a New Year’s fire at a Swiss ski resort bar have been identified, with half of them under the age of 18.
A heavy pall of grief hung over Crans-Montana as more than a thousand mourners walked in silence to remember those killed and injured at the Le Constellation bar.
Local police confirmed the ages of the victims ranged from 39 down to two who were just 14 years old.
The victims included 21 Swiss nationals, nine French nationals, six Italians, and one person each from Belgium, Portugal, Romania and Turkey.
The bar’s owners are under criminal investigation for manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence and arson by negligence.
A mass for the victims was held at a small chapel near the gutted bar, which was surrounded by flowers, candles and messages of sympathy.
Bishop Jean-Marie Lovey of Sion told the packed chapel it was “unbearable for so many families to remain in the darkness of suffering and death”.
Pastor Gilles Cavin noted that “many of the victims were apprentices, high school students, and university students”.
After the service, the crowd spontaneously applauded rescuers and emergency workers as they walked through the silent procession.
Authorities believe the fire was likely caused by sparklers attached to champagne bottles igniting soundproofing foam on the ceiling.
The Wallis cantonal prosecutor’s office said initial witness statements “describe a fire that spread rapidly, generating a large amount of smoke and intense heat”.
The bar was crammed with young partygoers when the blaze began in a packed basement around 1:30 am on Thursday.
Switzerland has declared a national day of mourning for January 9, with church bells set to toll and a moment of silence observed.
Pope Leo XIV voiced his “closeness to those who are grieving” the disaster during his address at St Peter’s Square in Rome.
