Swiss Community Mourns as Investigation Into Ski Bar Fire Continues

Sun Jan 11 2026 01:08:50 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A memorial service in Crans-Montana unites grieving families and survivors as authorities investigate the devastating New Year’s Eve fire at Le Constellation bar, which claimed 40 lives.

In the wake of a catastrophic fire at the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana that resulted in 40 deaths, a national day of mourning takes place across Switzerland. Families of victims, survivors, and officials gather for a somber memorial service as the investigation into the tragedy intensifies, with the bar's owners facing potential charges including manslaughter by negligence. Questions continue to mount regarding past safety violations and the circumstances surrounding the fire, as the community comes together to honor the victims and seek justice.

Tragedy brought people together in Crans-Montana and brought the country to a standstill.

On Friday, just down the road from the bar where 40 young people were killed by fire on New Year's Eve, church bells rang in their memory.

They tolled right across Switzerland, to mark a national day of mourning.

Then, moments after the last notes of a special memorial service had faded, came the news that one of the bar's owners had been detained.

Swiss prosecutors said Jacques Moretti, a French national, was a potential flight risk. He and his wife Jessica, also French, are suspected of manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence, and arson by negligence.

Many victims' families had demanded action from the start: more than a week after the fire, the anger in this community has only grown.

At the main ceremony in Martigny, down in the valley, relatives of the dead were joined by survivors. Some had come from hospital for the memorial. People held white roses in their laps and gripped each other's hands for support.

The images we faced were unbearable. A scene worse than a nightmare. Screams ringing out in the icy cold, the smell of burning. It was apocalyptic, shared Marie, a young woman who witnessed the horror unfold from a neighboring bar.

Both the presidents of France and Italy attended, expressing their condolences and emphasizing the need for justice in light of the tragedy. The feelings echo the sentiments expressed by Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who called for accountability regarding the fire's management.

Now, the investigation faces challenges, as Jacques and Jessica Moretti remain the only suspects, while questions surge around the safety inspections—or lack thereof—leading up to the disaster.

Days after the memorial, the community is still in shock, grappling not only with loss but with the many unanswered questions surrounding the deadly blaze.