Initial investigations into a deadly fire at a Swiss ski resort bar on New Year's Day suggest the blaze started when sparkler candles were carried too close to the ceiling, prosecutors said on Friday.
At least 40 people were killed and 119 injured, Swiss officials said. Emanuele Galeppini, a 17-year-old Italian golfer who lived in Dubai, was the first among the dead to be identified publicly.
The blaze broke out at around 1.30am at Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, in the south-west of the country.
“Everything suggests that the fire started from the sparkling candles that had been attached to champagne bottles,” Valais canton prosecutor Beatrice Pilloud said. “These flares were taken too close to the ceiling. This led to what is referred to as a flashover incident where the fire spread very rapidly.”
She added that the candles can be bought in “any shop”, but that investigators would examine whether they are safe to use in a “closed space”.
Investigators are drawing on evidence from videos taken inside the bar when the fire started, and from the testimonies of survivors, Ms Pilloud said.
They have also drawn up a list of people who were at the event when the fire broke out, based on the accounts of witnesses and relatives, to help identify the missing, she added.
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Emergency workers block off the scene of the deadly fire at Le Constellation bar, in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana. Reuters -
The bar was holding a New Year's party when the blaze broke out, killing about 40 people. Reuters -
A screengrab shows the fire as it rips through the bar. AFP -
Mourners gather outside the bar to pay their respects to those killed. Getty Images -
Emergency services at the scene. Police are investigating whether the venue exceeded its occupancy limit. Reuters -
More than 110 people were injured, including citizens of Frane and Italy. Getty Images -
Tents set up by emergency workers obscure the burnt exterior of Le Constellation. Reuters -
A mourner lights a candle in tribute to those killed. Italy and France have pledged their support to Switzerland after the fire. Getty Images
The investigation will focus on recent renovation work at the bar, the materials used, the number of people at the venue at the time of the fire and its authorised capacity, Ms Pilloud said.
The investigators' aim is to establish who is responsible for the blaze and, “if they are still alive”, charge them with manslaughter and causing a fire and injuries through negligence.
Local media have reported that the bar was extremely crowded, with people rushing to escape through a single exit.
Ms Pilloud confirmed that the investigators would also examine the soundproof foam that lined the bar's ceiling. There has been speculation that the foam caused the flames to spread rapidly.
Photographs on social media show the foam being installed during renovations. But Ms Pilloud said she was unable to confirm whether it complied to safety standards.
The two French owners of the bar have been interviewed, but were not currently being considered suspects, she added.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani travelled to Crans-Montana on Friday to meet the families of Italians who are missing.
Six people among the 119 injured have yet to be formally identified, according to Frederick Gisler, commander of the canton's police.
Among the injured who have been identified are 71 Swiss nationals, 14 French nationals, 11 Italian and four Serbian, as well as other European nationalities, he said. Most of the 40 dead were found at the bar.
Relatives have started to have contact with those being treated in hospital, said Prof Eric Bonvin, director general of Valais Hospital.
Thirteen of the 55 people treated at the hospital’s acute care centre in Sion have been able to return home. However, four are in a life- threatening condition in intensive care, with three of them still in surgical theatres, he said.
Prof Bonvin said 28 patients were transferred to other regional or international hospitals, to ensure they are “as close as possible to where they live” as they need long-term care and treatment.
Emotions ran high during the emergency response at the hospitals on Thursday, he added, as staff responded as quickly as possible to the injuries but also feared relatives or friends could be among the casualties.
“Everyone was worried when they saw the patients arrive, they were also wondering whether they had loved ones who might have been caught up in the incident,” he said.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin described the blaze as “one of the worst tragedies that our country has experienced”.
Crans-Montana is a popular ski resort in the Valais canton, two hours away from the capital Berne. It is in the French-speaking part of the country and about 100km from the Italian border.
Swiss authorities said the local intensive care unit in Valais was full and that Italy had made a major burns unit available in Milan to treat the injured.
