Swiss Prosecutors Open Criminal Investigation Into Deadly New Year’s Eve Fire That Killed 40

Swiss authorities have opened a criminal investigation into the managers of a nightclub where a New Year’s Eve fire claimed the lives of 40 people and injured more than 100 others, marking one of the deadliest incidents in recent Swiss history.

The chief prosecutor for the Valais region, Beatrice Pilloud, announced Saturday that two managers face potential charges of involuntary homicide, involuntary bodily harm, and involuntarily causing a fire. The investigation commenced Friday evening and will, in Pilloud’s words, help “explore all the leads.” The prosecutors have not yet publicly identified the managers under investigation.

Investigators determined Friday that the fire originated from sparklers placed on champagne bottles, which ignited the ceiling of the crowded establishment around 1:30 in the morning. The investigation will examine whether sound-dampening material on the ceiling met regulatory standards and whether the sparklers were permitted for use in such an establishment. Authorities have also indicated they will scrutinize other safety measures, including the adequacy of fire extinguishers and the accessibility of escape routes.

Videos circulated widely show the chaos that ensued as patrons scrambled toward narrow exits. Axel Clavier, a 16-year-old Parisian tourist, reported that he forced a window open using a table to escape the flames. Other witnesses described using chairs to break windows as fire engulfed the venue. One witness recounted seeing actual flames shooting outward, with people running through the fire itself to reach safety.

Stéphane Ganzer, the Valais region’s top security official, stated that such a catastrophic fire in Switzerland indicates that “something didn’t work,” whether it was the materials used, the organization on site, or both. He expressed certainty that someone made a mistake.

Nicolas Féraud, who heads the Crans-Montana municipality where the tragedy occurred, maintained his conviction that safety checks on the establishment had not been inadequate. When Swiss Justice Minister Beat Jans was asked whether the tragedy could have been prevented, he acknowledged that officials could not yet provide an answer, though he recognized that “the world needs an answer on this question.”

The process of identifying victims has proven agonizingly slow for families. Most patrons were between their teens and mid-twenties. The severity of the burns has complicated identification efforts, requiring families to provide DNA samples. In several cases, wallets and identification documents were completely incinerated.

By Saturday, regional police had identified four victims: two 16-year-olds, one male and one female, an 18-year-old man, and a 21-year-old woman, all Swiss nationals. Their bodies have been returned to their families. Several injured individuals remain unidentified.

Laetitia Brodard, whose 16-year-old son Arthur attended the New Year’s celebration at Le Constellation, expressed the anguish of not knowing. “I’m looking everywhere,” she told reporters Friday. “The body of my son is somewhere.”

The investigation continues as Switzerland grapples with understanding how such a tragedy could occur in a nation known for stringent safety standards. The answers, when they come, will be critical not only for the grieving families but for ensuring such a catastrophe never happens again.

That is the situation as it stands tonight in Switzerland.