Forty Dead, 119 Injured, Candles at the Heart of the Investigation: Update on the Crans-Montana Fire

The investigation is beginning to yield results. Swiss authorities held their third press conference on Friday, January 2, the day after a fire broke out in a bar at the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana, resulting in 40 fatalities and over a hundred injuries.

Authorities from the Valais canton confirmed that the toll of the tragedy now stands at 40 dead, clarifying an earlier vague estimate of around forty fatalities.

The fire started around 1:30 AM (12:30 AM GMT) on Thursday in the bar Le Constellation, which was frequented by tourists, including many young people celebrating the New Year.

The "Incandescent Candles" Theory

"Most of the victims were found in the bar," reported the head of the cantonal police, Frédéric Gisler. He added that 113 of the 119 injured have been "formally" identified, while identification procedures for six others are still ongoing.

Among those identified are 71 Swiss nationals, 14 French, 11 Italians, four Serbians, as well as one Bosnian, one Belgian, one Luxembourger, one Pole, and one Portuguese. The nationality of 14 other injured individuals, including the six yet to be identified, has not been established. No information regarding the nationalities of the 40 deceased has been released.

However, according to the cantonal police, pre-death files for the missing have been opened in connection with several countries, including Belgium, France, Italy, Portugal, the Philippines, Romania, Serbia, and Turkey. An Israeli national, who holds dual citizenship, is reported missing, according to an Israeli Foreign Ministry official.

Based on initial findings from the investigation, "it appears that the fire originated from incandescent candles or sparklers placed on champagne bottles," stated Béatrice Pilloud, the attorney general of the Valais canton. "Everything was positioned too close to the ceiling."

"This is a favored hypothesis that seems to be corroborated," she added. The review of numerous videos by investigators supports the claims of many witnesses.

No Responsibility Established So Far

The attorney also noted that interviews, including those of the "two French managers and surviving individuals," have helped clarify the interior layout of the venue, the work done, and the establishment's capacity. They also aided in creating a list of individuals present that night.

According to the attorney, the bar's two owners, a French couple, have been questioned "as individuals called to provide information," and no responsibility has been established at this point.

When briefly interviewed by Swiss media outlets 20Minutes.ch and La Tribune de Genève, owner Jacques Moretti stated that the couple would do "everything possible to help clarify the causes" of the tragedy. "We cannot sleep or eat; we are all very distressed," the entrepreneur added.