Swiss ski resorts beef up fire safety checks at local bars

BE: Adelboden and Lauterbrunnen check public premises security Keystone-SDA

In view of the upcoming Ski World Cup competitions in Adelboden and Wengen, authorities intend to check the safety of local bars and restaurants after the tragic fire in Crans-Montana.

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Ski enthusiasts will arrive in Adelboden as early as next weekend. On Monday, the town’s mayor Willy Schranz told Swiss public radio SRF that, with the tragedy in Crans-Montana still on its mind, the municipality is called upon to take action and will use the next few days to check the village premises.

“We will check that everything is in order, so that nothing similar can happen,” said Schranz. The municipality’s task is to avoid mistakes, raise awareness among the bar owners and discuss with them whether they have done everything possible to ensure the safety of guests.

Responsibility of bar operators

For his part, Karl Näpflin, mayor of Lauterbrunnen, which is part of the World Cup venue in Wengen, will discuss what to do in a town hall on Monday. Näpflin told SRF radio that the municipality will keep an eye on the bars and nightclubs and ask them to, at a minimum, double check safety.

For example, bar owners will have to check: “are there flammable materials? Are the cloakrooms adequately equipped?”. And the most important thing is that there are clear signposts for escape routes. The mayor of Lauterbrunnen also warned against the use of flames and candles.

According to SRF, Näpflin was asked by several parties to close two nightclubs in the area for safety reasons. The municipality cannot do this, the mayor said, but will keep an eye on the situation.

Adapted from Italian by AI/jdp

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