Switzerland Mourns the Loss of 40 Lives in Deadly New Year's Eve Fire
As the Swiss people come to terms with one of their nation's worst tragedies, President Guy Parmelin has described the country as "devastated" by the loss of 40 lives in a bar fire that raged through the ski resort of Crans-Montana on New Year's Eve.
The tragedy unfolded when champagne bottles with sparklers attached were raised too close to sound insulation foam on the ceiling in the Le Constellation bar, sparking a devastating blaze. The inferno, which engulfed the basement section of the bar, trapped many young patrons inside, resulting in one of the worst fire-related disasters in Swiss history.
In a somber ceremony attended by around 1,000 people, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, and Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, Parmelin paid tribute to those who lost their lives, saying that "the start of 2026 should have brought the familiar hopes and promises – a new year with a fresh start. For young people especially, such promises take flight on dreams and the rightful hopes of youth – promises destined for the skies that fell too soon into the ashes of a night of horror."
As the nation mourns the loss of so many innocent lives, prosecutors are investigating how such a tragedy could occur. While no arrests have been made yet, it is believed that bar owner Jacques Moretti may face charges in connection with the fire.
In the aftermath of the disaster, questions are being raised about the role of authorities and the measures in place to prevent such tragedies from occurring. The fact that sound safety inspections had not been conducted at Le Constellation since 2019 has sparked outrage, with many calling for greater accountability.
As the investigation into the fire continues, families of those affected are demanding answers and justice. With over 83 people still hospitalized and a number of young victims under the age of 18 among the dead, the full extent of the devastation is only beginning to be understood.
In a poignant video posted on social media earlier this week, a bar employee can be seen warning customers about the dangers of the foam insulation used in the bar's basement. The footage has been described as "staggering" by some, highlighting the knowledge that the authorities had of the risks involved but seemingly failed to act upon.
As Switzerland grapples with the consequences of this tragedy, the nation is left to wonder how such a disaster could have occurred and what measures can be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.
As the Swiss people come to terms with one of their nation's worst tragedies, President Guy Parmelin has described the country as "devastated" by the loss of 40 lives in a bar fire that raged through the ski resort of Crans-Montana on New Year's Eve.
The tragedy unfolded when champagne bottles with sparklers attached were raised too close to sound insulation foam on the ceiling in the Le Constellation bar, sparking a devastating blaze. The inferno, which engulfed the basement section of the bar, trapped many young patrons inside, resulting in one of the worst fire-related disasters in Swiss history.
In a somber ceremony attended by around 1,000 people, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, and Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, Parmelin paid tribute to those who lost their lives, saying that "the start of 2026 should have brought the familiar hopes and promises – a new year with a fresh start. For young people especially, such promises take flight on dreams and the rightful hopes of youth – promises destined for the skies that fell too soon into the ashes of a night of horror."
As the nation mourns the loss of so many innocent lives, prosecutors are investigating how such a tragedy could occur. While no arrests have been made yet, it is believed that bar owner Jacques Moretti may face charges in connection with the fire.
In the aftermath of the disaster, questions are being raised about the role of authorities and the measures in place to prevent such tragedies from occurring. The fact that sound safety inspections had not been conducted at Le Constellation since 2019 has sparked outrage, with many calling for greater accountability.
As the investigation into the fire continues, families of those affected are demanding answers and justice. With over 83 people still hospitalized and a number of young victims under the age of 18 among the dead, the full extent of the devastation is only beginning to be understood.
In a poignant video posted on social media earlier this week, a bar employee can be seen warning customers about the dangers of the foam insulation used in the bar's basement. The footage has been described as "staggering" by some, highlighting the knowledge that the authorities had of the risks involved but seemingly failed to act upon.
As Switzerland grapples with the consequences of this tragedy, the nation is left to wonder how such a disaster could have occurred and what measures can be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.
still can't believe it happened just on our new year ... sounds like the bar owner should've been more careful with all that foam insulation 
83 people still in hospital and a lot of young ppl lost their lives... my heart goes out to them and their families 
like what was going through their minds? 
sound safety inspections hadn't been done since 2019? that's just crazy talk... need to get to the bottom of this ASAP 
and yeah, bar owner Jacques Moretti might be in for a world of trouble 
hope the investigators can get some answers soon 
40 lives lost, can you even imagine? I mean, I know we've all had some wild New Year's Eve parties in our time, but this is just sickening. The fact that they knew the foam insulation was a fire hazard and still didn't do anything about it... it's just so frustrating. And what's with the champagne bottles and sparklers? Who does that? 
It's moments like these that make you realize how quickly things can spiral out of control.
. I mean, we all know that fire safety inspections haven't been done since 2019 at Le Constellation, it's like they were basically ignoring the warning signs from a bar employee who's own video footage is out there now 
. I hope the authorities are taking this seriously and get to the bottom of how this tragedy happened. We need to know what went wrong so we can prevent something like this from happening again in the future 
. I mean, bar owner Jacques Moretti may be facing charges, but it's still not enough. The people who knew about the risks and failed to act need to be held accountable too 
.
.
I mean I know we all go on New Year's parties but to lose 40 lives like that? It's just...wow. How did it even happen? They knew about the foam insulation being a fire hazard and they still didn't do anything about it. It's like, common sense, right? But apparently not when you're running a bar in Switzerland 
The worst part is that this could've been prevented if someone had done their job properly. I don't care who you are, if you're in charge of a bar, it's your duty to make sure everyone gets home safely 
According to data from the International Fire Congress, there were 14 fatalities in bar fires in the UK in 2020 alone 
. And, did you know that in the US, the average cost of a bar fire is around $150,000? 
Meanwhile, the total damage from the Crans-Montana fire could exceed CHF 100 million ( approx $110 million USD)! 
83 people still hospitalized and counting... this tragedy could've been prevented if those measures were in place 
. How can you not prioritize people's safety when you know there's a risk? 
. We gotta do better, Switzerland! 
u can't imagine how scared those young ppl must've been trapped inside with no way out 
bar owner Jacques Moretti should be held accountable for this 
and we need to make sure these kinds of incidents dont happen again in future 
its time for greater accountability from our leaders 
. it's just crazy that a fire could spread so quickly and trap people in the bar. and what's even more disturbing is that some of these young people were under 18 
. i hope the families of those affected get some answers and justice soon 
. It's like the authorities were playing with fire 
and answers 
. I hope the investigation uncovers all the facts and everyone responsible is held accountable 
.
. Let's keep their memories alive 
and make sure we learn from this tragedy 
. We can't change the past, but we can shape the future 
bar owner maybe faced charges but still, how did this happen?! 
, gotta take responsibility & make sure this never happens again