Swiss Authorities Confirm Teenagers Aged 14–17 Among Victims of Fatal New Year’s Fire at Crans-Montana Bar

Police in Switzerland’s Valais canton announced Sunday that several teenagers, including victims as young as 14 and 15, were among those killed in the deadly fire that swept through a crowded bar at the Crans-Montana ski resort during New Year’s celebrations.

The latest update brings the number of identified victims to 24 out of an estimated 40 deaths, with more than 100 others injured. Sixteen additional victims have now been formally identified, and their bodies returned to families.

Among the newly confirmed victims are:
– a 14-year-old Swiss national,
– two 15-year-olds,
– two 16-year-olds and one 17-year-old from Switzerland,
– two 16-year-old Italian nationals,
– one 16-year-old with dual nationality.

Nine of the 16 newly identified victims were minors under the age of 18.

The presence of so many young people in a venue that was packed for New Year’s festivities has prompted serious questions about whether adequate age verification measures were in place. As the investigation continues, the revelations have deepened shock and grief in the Crans-Montana community, where many of the deceased were among its youngest members.

Tributes Grow Outside Le Constellation Bar as Investigation Targets Management

Flowers and memorials were placed outside Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, on Saturday as the community continued to grieve.

(Photo: Lisa Leutner/Reuters)

That same day, police in Valais canton announced a criminal investigation into the bar’s managers on suspicion of negligent manslaughter, negligent bodily harm, and negligent arson. One of the bar’s co-owners has previously insisted that “everything was done according to the rules.”

Swiss federal law permits the sale of beer and wine to individuals aged 16 and older, while spirits may only be sold to those 18 and above, according to the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH).

In Valais canton, local regulations allow minors under 16 to enter venues serving alcohol after 10 p.m. only if accompanied by a legal guardian or an adult explicitly authorized by the guardian. Police confirmed the fire broke out at approximately 1:30 a.m.

Amid mounting shock over the ages of many victims, Swiss Confederation President Guy Parmelin described those lost as young people “full of plans, hope and dreams.”

Crans-Montana Holds Memorial Service as Italy Vows to Pursue Legal Action Over Bar Fire

On Sunday, hundreds of mourners gathered at Chapelle Saint-Christophe in Crans-Montana for a special church service to honor the victims of the deadly New Year’s fire at Le Constellation bar.

“Countless people join us – people whose hearts are broken,” Bishop Jean-Marie Lovey told the congregation, according to Reuters. “Many expressions of sympathy and solidarity reach us.”

After the service, participants joined a silent march to the town center, where they were invited to lay flowers and sign a book of condolences, according to the church’s website.

Italy Announces Repatriation and Legal Steps

Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced Sunday, via a spokesperson, that the bodies of six identified Italian victims will be repatriated on Monday.

The Italian victims include one 15-year-old, four 16-year-olds, and one 17-year-old, according to Italy’s ambassador to Switzerland, Gian Lorenzo Cornado.

Ambassador Cornado confirmed that Italy intends to pursue legal action against the bar’s owners on behalf of the victims’ families.

“Accidents happen, but this was not an accident but an avoidable tragedy: all it would have taken was a little prevention and a modicum of common sense,” Cornado said in comments captured by Italian media.

Bar Co-Owner Defends Compliance

Jacques Moretti, the French co-owner of Le Constellation, told the Swiss newspaper Tribune de Genève on Friday that the venue had undergone inspections “three times in 10 years.”

“Everything was done according to the rules,” Moretti stated.

Questions remain about whether victims under 16 were accompanied by a legal guardian or authorized adult at the time of the fire, which occurred around 1:30 a.m.