Swiss Investigators Probe Deadly New Year’s Bar Fire in Crans-Montana

Deadly New Year’s Fire Prompts Criminal Investigation

Swiss authorities have opened a criminal investigation into the managers of Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, following a fire during a New Year’s Eve party that left 40 people dead and more than 100 injured. The investigation was opened on Friday night, according to Valais region chief prosecutor Beatrice Pilloud, and was announced on Saturday.

Pilloud stated that the two bar managers are suspected of involuntary homicide, involuntary bodily harm and involuntarily causing a fire. She said the investigation would help “explore all the leads.” The managers were not named in the announcement.

Cause of Fire and Safety Checks Under Review

Investigators said on Friday that the fire at Le Constellation was caused by sparklers attached to Champagne bottles, which ignited the ceiling of the crowded bar at around 1:30 a.m. on January 1, 2026. Authorities said they planned to examine whether the sound-dampening material on the ceiling met regulatory standards and whether the sparklers were permitted for use in the bar.

Officials said they would also review other safety measures at the premises, including fire extinguishers and escape routes. Videos shared on social media showed people screaming as dozens of patrons tried to escape through narrow exits during the fire.

Accounts From Inside the Bar

Parisian tourist Axel Clavier, 16, said on Thursday that he forced a window open with a table to escape. Another witness said that bar patrons used chairs to break windows as flames spread. The witness described visible flames and people running through them while trying to flee.

Victims Identified and Injuries Reported

On Saturday, regional police reported that four victims had been identified and their bodies handed over to their families. The victims were a 16-year-old boy, a 16-year-old girl, an 18-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman, all Swiss nationals. Several injured people still had not been identified as of Saturday.

Swiss officials said on Friday that 119 people were injured and 113 had been formally identified. On Saturday, Italy’s ambassador to Switzerland, Gian Lorenzo Cornado, said local authorities had briefed him that the number of injured had risen to 121, with five not yet identified. He said 14 Italians were receiving hospital treatment.

Swiss police have stated that the injured included more than 70 Swiss nationals and more than 10 citizens each from France and Italy, as well as citizens of Serbia, Bosnia, Luxembourg, Belgium, Portugal and Poland.

Families Await Identification and Support

The process of identifying the dead and injured continued on Saturday, and officials said the severity of burns had complicated identification. Families were asked to provide DNA samples. In some cases, wallets and identification documents were reduced to ash.

Laetitia Brodard said on Friday evening that her 16-year-old son, Arthur, had gone to Le Constellation to celebrate the New Year. She said she wanted to know where her child was and to be by his side, whether in intensive care or in the morgue.

Italian psychologist Elvira Venturella, who is working with the families, said the wait for information has become increasingly difficult as time passes. Cornado said there was significant stress but that authorities should share information only when it is accurate and completely confirmed.

Official Visits and Public Mourning

Stéphane Ganzer, the Valais region’s top security official, and Swiss Justice Minister Beat Jans visited the fire site. Ganzer described the families’ wait for information as “unbearable” and said providing them with answers was the authorities’ top priority. Jans said officials could not yet state whether the tragedy could have been avoided.

Mourners and well-wishers gathered outside Le Constellation in Crans-Montana, leaving flowers and candles at makeshift memorials. A flower with a note was laid after the fire that broke out overnight on January 1, 2026. One handwritten message at the scene read, “RIP you are all our children.”