Crans-Montana Bar Not Safety Checked for 5 Years
The Mayor of Crans-Montana, Nicolas Feraud, has said that he could not explain why Le Constellation bar had not been checked in so long, but that the council was “profoundly sorry”.
Venues in the Swiss ski resort should have been checked on a regular basis.
“We regret that – we owe it to the families and we will accept the responsibility,” he said at a news conference.
Taking repeated questions on why the bar had not been checked in so long, Feraud said: “I have no answer for you today.”
“We’re profoundly sorry about that and I know how hard that will be for the families.”
Sparklers on bottles being carried too close to the ceiling were the likely cause of the fire, a preliminary investigation has found.
The Mayor said he was not considering resigning after the tragedy.
“You don’t leave the ship in the middle of a storm,” Feraud said.
“We are also victims and those affected by this drama.”
He said he will carry the suffering of all affected families for a lifetime and “I will never be able to overcome this.”
It will be down to the legal system to decide whether members of the local authority would be included in the criminal investigation that has been opened by Swiss prosecutors.
Other factors have come to light :
- Inspections of the facility were conducted in 2016, 2018 and 2019, there were none from 2020 to 2025.
- The earlier inspections resulted in the requirement for ‘specific changes’ – it is unclear if these were made.
- The bar seemed to have many more people in it than legally permitted which was the responsibility of the managers of Le Constellation to regulate.
- In 2015 the owners renovated the bar and it did not require a permit, which was when the sound insulation foam was stuck on the ceiling.
- The use of sound-proofing material on the ceiling and the use of sparklers appears to be extremely negligent.
- No checks were carried out on this soundproofing foam as officials did not consider it necessary.
- Questions have been raised on compliance with standards for access and emergency exits in the basement. There was an emergency door in the basement, but it is unclear whether it was open, closed or blocked.
- There was a single fire extinguisher and there was no alarm system. This was sufficient for this type and size of establishment.
The municipality has handed over all relevant documents relating to the case to the public prosecutor’s office.
Local authorities will now bring in an external contractor to inspect and audit all 128 venues in the area.
The Major said there was a team of five people inspecting more than 10,000 buildings in Crans-Montana.
According to the cantonal legislation, municipal security officers must carry out periodic checks to ensure compliance with fire safety regulations in public spaces.
In 2025, the safety officer of Crans-Montana carried out 1430 fire safety checks, of which 113 were periodic checks.
40 concerned public companies.
Swiss prosecutors have placed the two bar managers, a French couple Jacques and Jessica Moretti, under criminal investigation.
They are both suspected of manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence and arson by negligence, the prosecutors’ office in Valais said.
The municipal council announced that it has imposed a ban on the use of pyrotechnic devices of any kind in enclosed areas throughout the municipality.
The local authority also said that it would “assume all responsibility as determined by the courts”.
The Valais cantonal government has said the victims of the tragedy will receive financial assistance.
The details have yet to be worked out but the Valais government also intends to support those affected by the fire in their administrative procedures via victim support centres.
See here for our main PlanetSKI news reports on the incident:
Plus a post on the reaction from the snowsport world:
Wider political questions have been raised across Switzerland.
Under Switzerland’s political system, power is distributed among three levels of the confederation, 26 cantons and then about 2,131 municipalities.
While safety regulations are set by cantons, they need to be implemented by local authorities.
The Crans-Montana’s failure to adhere to fire safety regulations by not inspecting Le Constellation from 2020 to 2025 may point to a potential fault with the system.
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