Tragedy in Crans-Montana: Community Mourns Victims of Ski Bar Fire

Sun Jan 11 2026 05:18:02 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A memorial ceremony in Crans-Montana honors the victims of a devastating New Year's Eve fire. Families demand accountability as evidence suggests negligence contributed to the tragedy.

In a poignant memorial, the community of Crans-Montana united to mourn the loss of 40 young people who perished in a catastrophic fire at Le Constellation ski bar on New Year's Eve. The victims' families are calling for justice and accountability after authorities revealed the venue had not undergone mandatory safety checks for five years. Investigations have begun into the alleged negligence of the bar's owners, with calls for a focus on comprehensive safety reforms across Switzerland.

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, who is also French, are suspected of manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence, and arson by negligence.

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

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, recalls a survivor named Marie, who witnessed the fire unfold.

As investigations into the fire deepen, questions around safety regulations and enforcement have come to the forefront, especially after it was revealed that the bar had not been inspected for five years.

The tragedy has ignited a discussion on the need for tighter safety measures and accountability to prevent future disasters.

Families are left grappling with loss and seeking justice, emphasizing that this catastrophe was not an unavoidable accident, but a consequence of negligence that failed to protect their loved ones.