Swiss Bar Fire Leaves Community Searching for Answers

Written by: Keya Gambhir

A deadly fire at a bar in Switzerland has shaken an entire mountain town and left families searching for answers. The fire broke out just after midnight on New Year’s Eve at a bar called Le Constellation in Crans Montana, a popular ski resort. At least 40 people were killed, and more than 100 others were injured, many of them teenagers and young adults.

In the days since the fire, the town has been filled with grief, confusion, and painful questions. Many local residents say they keep thinking about what might have happened if they had made different choices that night. Some decided not to go to the bar at the last minute. Others had friends or siblings who were there only hours before the fire.

Teenagers in Crans Montana say they are constantly checking their phones, hoping for messages from friends who were at the bar but have not responded since the fire. Some families are still waiting to learn whether their loved ones survived. Swiss officials say a few hospitalized victims have not yet been identified because of severe burn injuries.

Police have now opened a criminal investigation into the managers of the bar. They are being investigated for negligence, which means failing to take proper safety precautions. Police are examining whether unsafe decisions helped cause the fire or made it worse. The bar’s owners, Jacques and Jessica Moretti, say they are cooperating with investigators and deny doing anything wrong.

Authorities believe the fire likely started when sparklers were used inside the bar. Sparklers are small fireworks that shoot out bright sparks and are sometimes attached to drink bottles during celebrations. Videos from that night show people dancing while sparks flew close to the ceiling. Investigators think the sparks ignited insulation foam covering the ceiling.

Fire experts say this type of foam is extremely flammable. Once it catches fire, flames and toxic smoke can spread very quickly. Some witnesses said it seemed like the entire ceiling caught fire at once. Experts also noted that parts of the foam may have been hanging loose, which can make it even more dangerous.

As the fire spread, panic broke out. Most people were in the basement, and survivors say many rushed toward a narrow staircase leading upstairs. That staircase quickly became blocked as people tried to escape. Some witnesses said they did not see another exit. Others escaped only by breaking windows or forcing open doors from the outside.

Local residents and passersby tried to help. One man described pulling people out of the burning bar after forcing open a rear door. Teenagers outside used the flashlights on their phones to guide people to safety. Many of those who escaped were badly burned and confused, unsure of what was happening.

Doctors and medical workers in the area rushed to help. A young surgical resident who was on holiday in Crans Montana spent hours treating victims on the floor of a nearby building. She described focusing only on saving lives, not on names or identities. Hospitals were overwhelmed as parents desperately searched for their children.

The emotional impact has been especially heavy because many of the victims were very young. Police have identified some victims as young as 16. The bar was known as a popular place for teenagers and young adults to celebrate. Friends of the victims say the fire is all anyone talks about, and that it feels impossible to move on.

Investigators are also reviewing whether the building followed fire safety rules. Local laws require regular safety inspections for public buildings. The bar’s owner said it had been inspected several times over the past decade, but officials are now checking how often inspections actually happened and whether any problems were missed.

Swiss President Guy Parmelin has called the fire one of the worst tragedies in the country’s history. Fire experts say similar disasters have happened before around the world when fireworks, flammable materials, and crowded spaces were combined.

As Crans Montana mourns, families are lighting candles, leaving flowers, and waiting for answers. For now, the town is united by grief and by a shared hope that lessons will be learned so that tragedies like this never happen again.