Swiss police announced the identification of all 40 people killed in the Constellation bar fire in Crans-Montana on New Year's Eve, including nine French nationals and 20 minors aged 14 to 39. The blaze, linked to the use of sparkling candles called 'fontaines', injured 119, with 35 transferred abroad. A criminal investigation has been opened against the bar's managers for negligent homicide.
The fire broke out around 1:30 a.m. on December 31, 2025, in the Constellation bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana, Valais, during a New Year's Eve party attended by seasonal workers and tourists. According to cantonal police, the blaze was caused by the use of 'fontaines,' sparkling candles, leading to rapid spread with heavy smoke and heat in just 55 seconds, as shown in a video synced to the bar's music.
The 40 victims, including 21 Swiss, nine French (including a Franco-Swiss and a triple national France/Israel/UK), six Italians (one Italo-Emirati), one Belgian, one Portuguese, one Romanian, and one Turkish, have been identified. Twenty were minors. Among the 119 injured, 23 are French; 35 were transferred to European clinics: 17 to France, seven to Belgium, seven to Germany, and six to Italy, due to Swiss hospitals' overload from severe burns.
A criminal investigation for negligent homicide, negligent bodily harm, and negligent arson has been opened against Jacques and Jessica Moretti, a Corsican couple who owned the bar since 2015. They remain free, with no flight risk suspected. Probes focus on safety norm compliance, evacuation routes, and firefighting means.
In Crans-Montana, mourning prevails: a mass gathered hundreds, followed by a white march. In France, a homage mass was held in Versailles for French victims, including three injured high school students. Arthur Brodard's mother, 16, announced his death on Facebook after 72 hours of anguish: 'Our Arthur has now gone to party in paradise. We can begin our mourning.' He had sent a last message at midnight. Several French nightclubs are now ditching sparkling fountains for LED alternatives.
European solidarity emerged through the EU's civil protection mechanism, with French and Italian medical teams assisting in Switzerland. Fire chief David Vocat praised his team's 'incredible work' amid the 'hell' endured.
