Owner of Swiss ski resort bar detained after New Year’s Eve fire killed 40
- Jacques Moretti, co-owner of the Swiss bar Le Constellation, has been detained in Sion due to a potential flight risk following a fatal New Year's fire.
- Prosecutors are investigating the bar's French owners for suspected crimes, including homicide by negligence, after 40 people died and 116 were injured in the blaze.
- The fire, which primarily affected teenagers, is believed to have been caused by sparkling candles igniting the basement ceiling in the early hours of January 1.
- The bar had not undergone its mandatory annual safety inspections since 2019, leading to questions about safety protocols and potential overcrowding.
- Crans-Montana Mayor Nicolas Feraud stated that while the bar passed its last inspection in 2019, soundproof foam panels on the ceiling were not routinely inspected, and a fire alarm was not legally required due to the bar's size.