- This story is developing, more to follow
The owner of the Swiss bar where a blaze killed 40 people on New Year’s Eve has been arrested, following an order from Swiss prosecutors.
Jacques Moretti has been detained as he poses a potential flight risk, Swiss media reported.
He was taken into custody today in the town of Sion, following a lengthy hearing with investigators.
Prosecutors are investigating the French owners, Jacques and his wife, Jessica, of the Le Constellation bar on suspicion of crimes including homicide by negligence.
They believe the blaze started when champagne bottles with sparklers attached were raised too close to sound insulation foam on the ceiling in the bar’s basement section.
Experts have suggested that what appeared to be highly flammable foam may have caused a so-called flashover – a near-simultaneous ignition of everything in an enclosed space, trapping many of the young patrons.
Video footage which has emerged from the tragedy shows young people desperately trying to flee the scene, some breaking windows to try to force their way out.
There were fears Jacques and Jessica may flee the country and use their French passports to evade justice, as France does not extradite its citizens.
It comes just five days after prosecutors in Valais said: ‘No coercive measures have been ordered against the defendants, given that the criteria for pre-trial detention are not currently met’.
Prosecutors’ previous statement added: ‘Currently, there is no suspicion that the defendants intend to evade criminal proceedings or the foreseeable punishment by fleeing. The other criteria, namely the risk of recidivism or collusion, are not taken into consideration’.
Most of those impacted by the inferno at Le Constellation were Swiss, but a total of 19 nationalities were among the fatalities and the wounded, including nine French victims.
Half of those killed in the blaze were under 18, including some as young as 14.
On Tuesday, municipal authorities acknowledged that no fire safety inspections had been conducted at Le Constellation since 2019, prompting outrage.
Speaking at the ceremony was a visibly emotional Mathias Reynard, state councillor and president of the Council of State of the Canton of Valais.
‘As adults, as political leaders, the least we can do is apologise, on behalf of the entire community,’ he said, adding: ‘We will never forget this day.’
‘A moment of celebration and friendship turned into a nightmare. At the dawn of the new year, young people who had just shared their dreams, their wishes, their laughter, were struck by violence and death,’ he continued.
‘In Crans-Montana, 156 lives were irrevocably changed…Today, we are gathered here to honor the memory of these 40 souls, to say that we will never forget. We are also gathered for those who were injured, for those who are still fighting for their lives.’
‘No words can ever undo the irreparable,’ he added.
The French couple said in a statement on Tuesday that they were ‘devastated and overwhelmed with grief’, and pledged their ‘full cooperation’ with investigators.
They will need to answer numerous questions about why so many minors were in the bar, and whether fire safety standards were adhered to.
‘We expect our clients, the families, to receive answers… and for all responsibilities from A to Z to be established,’ said lawyer Romain Jordan, representing several affected families.
The families, he said, want to know ‘why this tragedy… was able to occur here in Switzerland, despite all the legal, legislative, and surveillance measures in place’.
There has been much focus on the soundproofing foam, which, according to photos taken by the owners, had been added during renovations in 2015.
A video filmed by a member of the public, screened Monday by Swiss broadcaster RTS, showed that the danger was known years ago.
‘Watch out for the foam!’, a bar employee said during 2019 New Year’s Eve celebrations, as champagne bottles with sparklers were brought out.
‘This video is staggering,’ Jordan, who is expected at the hearing today, told AFP, saying it showed ‘there was an awareness of this risk – and that possibly this risk was accepted’.
Former staff have claimed that safety standards at the club were poor, alleging that fire extinguishers were kept under lock and key and that the bar’s emergency exit was often locked.
More to follow.
