Le Constellation ‘will never reopen as a bar’ after Crans‑Montana fire

Darbellay: "The Constellation will never be a bar again" Keystone-SDA

The Le Constellation bar, the centre of the tragedy in Crans‑Montana, “will never reopen as a bar”, Christophe Darbellay has said. The president of the Valais cantonal government added that he hopes the site will be repurposed for young people.

Six months on from the New Year’s Day fire that left 41 people dead and 115 injured, Darbellay also spoke about plans for a memorial.

In an interview published on Saturday in Le Temps, he said the project “must come from civil society and give a central role to the victims’ families”.

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The planned memorial should be “beautiful, peaceful and accessible, offering a fitting tribute to those who died, the injured, and all those involved in the rescue effort”, he added.

As well as outlining the future of the Le Constellation bar and the creation of a memorial, Darbellay pointed to a third “essential” element in honouring the victims: a commemoration on January 1, 2027.

‘We owe the truth to these young people’

Darbellay, who has been president of the Valais cantonal government since May 1 for a one‑year term, also addressed questions of responsibility for the tragedy, which are now in the hands of the courts.

“We owe the truth to these young people. Those responsible will be held to account,” he said.

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So far, responsibility has not been attributed to the canton. The 14 defendants include the bar’s co‑owners, the Moretti couple, as well as people who are, or have been, linked to the municipality.

However, Darbellay warned it “cannot be ruled out” that others from the administration or cantonal authorities could also face charges. “It is for the courts to decide, and we must respect their judgement,” he said.

Translated from Italian, sub-edited by sp