Swiss Police Say All 40 Dead From Bar Fire Have Been Identified
(Bloomberg) — Investigators have identified all 40 people who were killed in the New Year bar fire in Crans Montana, Switzerland, as a criminal probe into the operators of the establishment continues.
The last 16 victims were identified, local police said in a statement on Sunday, declining to publish the names to protect the families of the deceased. They include citizens of Switzerland, France, Italy and Portugal, with the youngest being a 14-year-old French boy, the Valais cantonal investigators said.
The fire, which may have been caused by sparklers igniting the soundproofing insulation in the basement of the club, also left 119 people injured. Many of those have been moved to specialist burn units in neighboring countries, as Swiss hospitals operate at capacity.
Valais public prosecutors said on Friday that they opened a criminal investigation into the two operators of the bar, Le Constellation. Possible charges include negligent homicide.
The investigation will examine all aspects of the tragedy, including the number of people allowed into the bar, accessible emergency exits and the material used in renovation works on the building, according the canton’s chief prosecutor Beatrice Pilloud.
The bar in the ski resort of Crans Montana is owned by a French couple, according to multiple media reports. One of the pair was in the bar and suffered burns to her arm but survived, while the man was elsewhere, French broadcaster BFMTV reported.
The municipality of Crans-Montana — which under Swiss law is responsible for monitoring fire safety regulations — decided that it will act as a civil party in the criminal proceedings, according to reports by national broadcaster SRF.
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