Swiss police announced Monday that all 116 people injured in the catastrophic New Year’s Eve fire at Le Constellation bar in the upscale ski resort of Crans-Montana have been identified, as the bodies of the first foreign victims began their journey home.
Authorities in Valais canton revised the injury count downward from an initial 119 after determining three individuals treated at emergency wards early Thursday had been erroneously linked to the blaze.
The fire, which claimed 40 lives — mostly young partygoers — is believed to have originated in the basement when sparklers affixed to champagne bottles were raised too close to the ceiling, lined with flammable soundproofing foam, according to preliminary investigations and social media footage.
Among the injured: 68 Swiss nationals, 21 French, 10 Italians, four Serbs, and four with dual citizenship, alongside two Poles and one individual each from seven other countries. Eighty-three remain hospitalized with severe burns.
All 40 fatalities were identified by Sunday. The victims, aged 14 to 39 with an average of 19, included 20 minors. They comprised 21 Swiss (including dual nationals), nine French, six Italians, and one each from Belgium, Portugal, Romania, and Turkey.
Authorities have withheld names pending family notifications, though some relatives have shared them publicly.
On Monday, the remains of five Italian victims were repatriated via military transport from Sion airport, 16 miles (25 km) away. Swiss police officers solemnly carried the coffins aboard an Italian aircraft bound first for Milan — carrying Achille Barosi and Chiara Costanzo from Milan, Giovanni Tamburi from Bologna, and Emanuele Galeppini from Genoa — before continuing to Rome for Riccardo Minghetti. The sixth Italian, Sofia Prosperi, a Swiss resident, will be buried locally.
Italy’s ambassador to Switzerland, Gian Lorenzo Cornado, vowed full cooperation with authorities to uncover the truth and ensure justice.
Growing scrutiny surrounds the tragedy, with prosecutors investigating bar owners Jacques and Jessica Moretti — a French couple — on suspicion of negligent homicide and related offenses. The pair have not been detained, deemed low flight risks, but face mounting calls for accountability amid questions over fire safety compliance.
Italy’s far-right Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini weighed in on the tragic New Year’s Eve fire at Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana that killed 40 young people, declaring on social media that safety failures in the basement warranted severe consequences.
“In civilised Switzerland, the prison gates will have to open for quite a few people,” Salvini wrote, criticizing lapses in ensuring the venue’s lower level was secure.
Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger highlighted lingering questions over inadequate age verification at the entrance, the flammability of the basement’s soundproofing foam, and regulations surrounding the use of sparklers — known as “Bengal fountains” — attached to champagne bottles, believed to have ignited the blaze.
Bar owner Jacques Moretti defended his establishment, stating it had passed three inspections in the past decade with full compliance. Local Crans-Montana officials echoed that no prior safety concerns or violations had been flagged.
The municipality has handed over all pertinent documents to prosecutors and joined the criminal case as a civil party, stating this step will enable the town council to “actively contribute to establishing all the facts.”
A memorial ceremony honoring the victims is scheduled for Friday in Crans-Montana. The French government announced Monday that President Emmanuel Macron will attend, underscoring the international impact of the tragedy that claimed lives from multiple countries.
Investigators continue probing owners Jacques and Jessica Moretti on suspicion of negligent homicide.