Preparations ready for Swiss day of mourning for fire victims

Around 40 people are dead and 116 seriously injured after a fire tore through the "Le Constellation" bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana in southern Switzerland on January 1, police say. Keystone / Cyril Zingaro

More than 1,000 guests are expected to attend a national day of mourning in Switzerland on Friday to commemorate the victims of the devastating fire in Crans-Montana.

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Government officials and politicians from Switzerland and abroad, as well as representatives of various religions, will attend the memorial service in Martigny, canton Valais.

The day is dedicated to remembering the victims, showing solidarity with the injured, and expressing support for all those affected. The entire country is asked to observe a moment of silence at 2pm on Friday. This symbolizes the grief the nation shares with all the families and friends directly affected, according to a statement from the Federal Chancellery.

The Federal Council will be represented by President Guy Parmelin, ministers Ignazio Cassis and Beat Jans, and Federal Chancellor Viktor Rossi.

The entire Valais State Council will also be present. The ceremony will include readings, symbolic gestures, musical performances, and speeches by government officials.

Political leaders

Representatives from 37 countries, as well as from the European Union, are invited to the event, the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) announced. Representatives from the countries of origin of the deceased and injured, as well as from the countries that offered assistance, were expected to attend.

By Wednesday, 30 countries had confirmed their participation, including Italy with President Sergio Mattarella and France with President Emmanuel Macron. Luxembourg will be represented by Grand Duke Henri, Belgium by Prime Minister Bart De Wever, and Serbia by Foreign Minister Marko Djuric.

The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, will also participate. The other countries will be represented by their ambassadors.

The official memorial ceremony, organized by the canton of Valais, will take place at the Exhibition and Assembly Center (CERM) in Martigny and will begin at 1.45pm. It will be broadcast live by the public broadcasters SRF, RTS, and RSI.

Ceremony to be broadcast

Journalists present in Martigny will not have access to the event itself, but they can follow the memorial ceremony in another part of the CERM.

For the residents of Crans-Montana, a live broadcast will be organized at the Le Régent Congress Center. Snowfall expected over the weekend and related safety concerns prompted the authorities to move this ceremony to Martigny.

Government representatives from several cantons are also participating. Memorial events are taking place throughout the country. For example, the Zurich city council will hold a minute of silence at 2.00pm in Münsterhof to commemorate the victims. This will be followed by a memorial service at the Fraumünster Church.

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The national memorial service will be broadcast to locations including Lausanne Cathedral and the church in Vevey, Vaud. In Valais, memorial services are also planned in Sierre and Sion. In Fribourg, a Mass will be held this evening at 6.15pm in St Nicholas Cathedral.

Church bells will ring

All national churches and other religious representatives in Switzerland will participate in the memorial ceremony. At 2pm, the bells of the national churches throughout Switzerland will ring, followed by a minute of silence.

The three Christian churches recognized in Switzerland will be represented in Martigny by the Bishop of Lausanne, Geneva, and Fribourg, Charles Morerod; the President of the Evangelical Reformed Church, Rita Famos; and the Bishop of the Old Catholic Church, Frank Bangerter.

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The Bishop of Sion, Jean-Marie Lovey, and the President of the Synodal Council of the Evangelical Reformed Church of Valais, Stephan Kronbichler, will also participate in the memorial ceremony. The Federation of Islamic Organizations in Switzerland and the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities (SIG) will also be represented.

The Federal Council and the Christian churches invite the public to dedicate the moment to remembering the deceased, showing solidarity with the injured and their families, and expressing gratitude to all emergency responders.

Parishes throughout Switzerland are being invited to keep their churches open during the day, providing space for prayer, silence, and mourning. Where possible, pastoral care workers will be available in the churches to offer conversation. Swiss Free Churches will also open their churches on the day of mourning.

Swiss Federal Railways is also participating in the national day of mourning with various measures. Flags at train stations will be flown at half-mast, and announcements on trains will remind passengers of the minute of silence at 2pm.

All regional airports controlled by the Swiss air navigation service provider Skyguide, as well as the two major airports in Geneva and Zurich and Payerne, will not allow any takeoffs during tomorrow’s minute of silence, a Skyguide spokesperson told Keystone-SDA.

In Bern, the flags of the Federal Parliament and other federal buildings will be flown at half-mast on Friday, as in many other locations throughout Switzerland.

Security measures for this event are extensive. Hundreds of officers from the municipal, cantonal, and federal police forces will be deployed. Traffic disruptions and road closures are expected in the affected area on Friday.

Adapted from German by DeepL/mga

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