Switzerland Charges Italy for Some Medical Costs After Crans-Montana Fire

by admin in RSS Social News. Posted April 27, 2026

41 people died in the fire in the Swiss ski resort.

We reported on the night of the tragedy when 40 people had died.

40 people killed in fire at bar in Crans-Montana

A person later died from their injuries.

The move from Switzerland has provoked widespread anger and disbelief in Italy.

The Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, said it was “disgraceful”.

In a statement to the Reuters news agency at the weekend the Federal Social Insurance Office, FSIO, ⁠confirmed its plans for Switzerland to retrieve money spent on hospital treatment.

The FSIO said that under current agreements between the EU states and Switzerland, the victims would receive an invoice for verification purposes, but the costs would fall to the relevant foreign health insurer.

“I am learning from press reports that the Swiss authorities are going to ask Italy to pay for the exorbitant medical expenses that the Sion hospital would have covered for the hospitalization, even for a few hours, of some children injured in the Crans-Montana fire,” Prime Minister Meloni posted on Facebook on Friday as the new emerged.

Here is a translation of the remainder of her post:

“If this vile request was to be formalized, I announce from now on that Italy will reject it to the sender and won’t give it any follow-up.

“I trust the Swiss authorities’ sense of responsibility and hope that the news turns out to be completely baseless.”

Italy’s Ambassador to Switzerland, Gian Lorenzo Cornado, said Rome would send back any invoices that arrive.

He said the mechanism for the recovery of the health care costs should not be applied because of the ‘moral responsibility’ of the Swiss authorities for the disaster.

He pointed out that two young Swiss patients injured in the bar fire had been treated for months at Milan’s Niguarda hospital without Rome asking for any money

“If these are the agreements, then Italy will not avail itself of them: we will not bill the expenses of the two Swiss boys hospitalised with us, and we expect Bern to do the same,” he said.

At the time of the tragedy ⁠Italy sent a civil protection helicopter to assist with rescue operations without requesting money.

Crans-Montana, Switzerland. Image © PlanetSKI

The owners of the bar, Jacques and Jessica Moretti, have been accused by authorities of manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence and arson by negligence.

Criminal proceedings have also been brought against the municipality’s head of public safety and a former council fire safety inspector.

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