Minute’s silence in Crans-Montana before World Cup downhill
Before the start of the men's World Cup downhill in Crans-Montana, spectators held a minute's silence in the finish area on Sunday for the victims of the fire on New Year's Eve. At the same time, the bells of the churches in the Valais holiday resort rang out.
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Before the descent, Marco Odermatt, Alexis Monney and other skiers also paid tribute to the victims of the fire. They laid white roses on a black heart in the snow, as a video on the SRF Sport Instagram channel shows.
Earlier in the morning, Sports Minister Martin Pfister visited the memorial for the victims, which was set up a few hundred metres from the site of the accident, near the St-Christophe chapel. He was accompanied by his daughter, President of the House of Representatives Pierre-André Page and his wife, as well as Valais politician Christophe Darbellay and his partner.
+ Crans-Montana fire probe summons fourth defendant
Many flowers, candles and messages are still being laid in the mourning village and in front of the scene of the accident. The stairs leading to the Le Constellation bar are covered by wooden planks. On Wednesday, the Italian skiers laid a bouquet of flowers there.
A month ago, on New Year’s Eve, 40 people died and 116 were injured in a fire at the bar.
Adapted from German by AI/ts
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