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Dozens gather in Crans‑Montana to honour New Year’s fire victims

Crans-Montana: tribute to the victims at the site
Crans-Montana: tribute to the victims at the site Keystone-SDA

Several dozen people gathered on Saturday morning at 10am near the Constellation bar in the Swiss town of Crans‑Montana to honour those who died or were injured in the New Year’s Eve fire. The gathering was organised by relatives of the victims.

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The tribute opened with the laying of flowers near the scene of the fire, reporters from the Keystone-SDA news agency said. Those attending included several relatives and friends of the victims, along with 18‑year‑old Roze, who suffered burns in the blaze.

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Italian embassy representative present

The chargé d’affaires of the Italian Embassy in Bern, Diana Forte, also attended the ceremony. “We wanted once again to show Italy’s solidarity with the families of the victims, both those who died and those who were injured. It’s very important for us to show that we are here, as we have been from the very beginning,” she told Keystone‑SDA.

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The ceremony ended with a minute’s silence in honour of the 41 people who died and the 115 who were injured. Afterwards, attendees were invited to a memorial lunch in Vétroz, a village just west of Sion.

For several days, a flyer circulating on social media had been calling on people to gather “in memory of those who died and in support of the injured following the tragic events in Crans‑Montana”. The event, themed around “remembrance, sharing and commemoration”, was open to all.

Translated from Italian by AI/sp

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