Service door at Crans-Montana bar was locked on night of fire, says owner

Jacques Moretti and his wife Jessica were questioned on Friday, before Jacques was remanded in custody as investigators establish how the fire unfolded at Le Constellation bar on January 1. Keystone / Alessandro Della Valle

The owner of Le Constellation, Jacques Moretti, admitted to investigators that the service door on the ground floor of the establishment was locked from the inside. He also admitted to having changed the ceiling foam that caught fire himself, Swiss public television RTS has revealed.

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The service door on the ground floor of the bar Le Constellation was locked, co-owner Jacques Moretti reportedly said.

According to information gathered by the RTS investigation team, Moretti told investigators that on the night of the January 1 fire, in which 40 people died and 116 were injured, he noticed that the service door was locked from the inside.

Customers trapped behind door

The owner of the premises claimed that he himself had unlocked the door from the outside and found several lifeless bodies piled up in front of it, RTS reported.

Moretti also stated that he did not know why the door had been locked. The criminal investigation, now being conducted by four prosecutors, will have to establish the veracity of his statements.

DIY foam on ceiling

RTS also learned details regarding the soundproofing foam on the ceiling. When questioned by investigators, Moretti stated that he had replaced the foam himself. He explained that he had removed the old acoustic foam and replaced it with foam purchased from a DIY store.

As RTS previously revealed, the bar’s employees were aware of the risks associated with this foam. During New Year’s Eve 2019-2020, a waiter warned customers about the risk of setting fire to the soundproofing on the ceiling.

This element could also lead the magistrates in charge of the investigation to charge the defendants with manslaughter.

Adapted from French with AI/gw

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