"Can't eat, can't sleep": owners of Swiss bar speak out after fire kills 47, injures 113

Around 40 people are believed to have died in a fire that broke out at the "Le Constellation" bar in the Crans-Montana ski resort in southwestern Switzerland, with the number of injured rising to 119, police said at a news conference. Among the injured, the identities of 113 people have been confirmed, though several European countries reported missing nationals.

Stephane Ganzer, a regional health and safety official, told French radio station RTL that 80 to 100 of the injured are in critical condition, with many likely to die from severe burns.

The alarm was raised around 1:30 a.m. on Thursday local time, minutes after the fire erupted. Local authorities deployed 41 ambulances, 13 helicopters, and over 150 medical personnel to the scene. An area of 100 meters around the bar was cordoned off, and crowds gathered near the police line, hugging and crying, with flowers and candles laid for the victims, reports Xinhua news agency.

A young Swiss man named Nathan, visibly shaken, told Xinhua that four of his friends had died in the fire, and three were still missing. "I don't even know which hospitals they are in. It's all so tragic... It hurts because I never got the chance to say goodbye to them," he said.

Anthony Cina, 17, on vacation from the Canton of Vaud, said he had not entered the bar as it was full. "I saw smoke, then fire. A lot of people were running out, many burnt. It was just shocking," he told Xinhua.

The owner of Le Constellation, Jacques Moretti, insisted to Swiss media on Friday that safety norms had been followed. Moretti, a Frenchman, and his wife Jessica manage the bar. Jacques told the Tribune de Geneve that the establishment had undergone "three inspections in 10 years" and that "everything was done according to the regulations."

The fire erupted in the basement of the bar, which is connected to the ground floor by a narrow staircase. Le Constellation has a capacity of 300 people on the ground floor and another 40 on the terrace. Most of the victims and injured were young people, as the bar was a more affordable venue in the luxury resort town.

Beatrice Pilloud, lead prosecutor in Switzerland's southwestern Wallis canton, said safety standards at the bar are a focus of the ongoing investigation. She indicated that the leading hypothesis is that sparklers or Bengal candles attached to champagne bottles, waved near the basement's low ceiling covered in thin soundproofing foam, may have ignited the blaze.

Video footage circulating online shows staff holding sparklers close to the ceiling, where flames spread rapidly. Pilloud said the bar managers, reportedly from Corsica and the French Riviera, escaped unharmed and were questioned as witnesses, with no liability established so far.

Authorities continue to investigate the ceiling foam's compliance with safety regulations and are working to identify all individuals present at the time of the fire.

Most of the injured were initially taken to hospitals in Sion, Lausanne, Zurich, and Geneva, with some later transferred abroad. According to Italian authorities, 13 Italian nationals were admitted to hospitals, with six still missing. Fourteen injured individuals were sent to Polish hospitals at Switzerland's request, while three, including two French nationals, were transferred to Lyon and Paris. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs said at least six French nationals were injured and eight remain unaccounted for.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Swiss Confederation President Guy Parmelin described the fire as one of the worst tragedies in the country's history. He announced that flags at the Federal Palace will remain at half-mast for five days and emphasized the need to prevent such disasters in the future.

Mathias Reynard, president of the Valais government, said a memorial service will be held in Crans-Montana on January 9. "It will be an opportunity to come together to commemorate the victims and stand united as a nation," he said.

Jacques Moretti confirmed he was not in the bar during the fire, but Jessica Moretti was present and sustained minor injuries. The couple is cooperating fully with the investigation. "We cannot sleep or eat. We will do everything we can to help clarify the causes," he said.

The tragedy has sparked outrage and grief across Switzerland and Europe, as authorities continue to investigate the exact cause and circumstances that turned a festive celebration into a deadly inferno.

(With inputs from IANS)