A devastating fire at Le Constellation bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana on New Year's Eve claimed the lives of at least 40 people and injured 119 others, marking one of the worst tragedies experienced by Switzerland, according to President Guy Parmelin. The blaze, which erupted in the early hours of Thursday, New Year's Day, has left families in an agonizing wait for news, with many victims and missing individuals being teenagers.

Authorities have begun the arduous process of identifying the deceased. Valais cantonal police confirmed the identification of the first four bodies, returning two Swiss women, aged 21 and 16, and two Swiss men, aged 18 and 16, to their families. This identification work, conducted by officers and the Institute of Forensic Medicine, is described as 'extensive', with efforts continuing to identify the remaining victims. The total death toll is contested, with Swiss officials confirming 40 fatalities, while Italian authorities state 47. Of the 119 injured, 113 have been formally identified, including 71 Swiss, 14 French, and 11 Italian citizens, along with nationals from Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Luxembourg, Belgium, Portugal, and Poland; the nationalities of 14 people remain unclear. Six Italians are still missing, and eight French people are also unaccounted for. Emanuele Galeppini, a 17-year-old Italian golfer, was the first deceased victim to be publicly named, though officials have not confirmed. Charlotte Niddam, a British-educated teenager who attended schools in Hertfordshire and London, is also believed to be among the missing.

The preliminary investigation into the cause of the fire points to sparklers on champagne bottles being carried too close to the ceiling. The inferno rapidly spread, believed to be fueled by dimpled foam acoustic insulation covering the ceiling of the basement bar, which reportedly ignited from a sparkler. The ensuing 'flashover' — where extreme heat caused everything inside the enclosed space to ignite almost at once — left patrons little chance to escape. Witnesses described hiding from a 'wall of heat' and attempts by a brave reveller to extinguish the initial flames, efforts that were ultimately futile as the blaze engulfed the crowded basement and traveled up narrow wooden stairs, causing deafening explosions.

The investigation, led by Valais Attorney General Beatrice Pilloud, is meticulously examining the materials used at the site, the bar's fire safety measures, its capacity, and the number of people inside at the time, including emergency exits and fire extinguishers. The owners of Le Constellation, Jacques (49) and Jessica Moretti (40), a French-Corsican couple who opened the bar in 2015, could face manslaughter charges if safety standards or fire precautions are found to be lacking. Pictures from a 2015 Facebook account chronicling their DIY renovation of the venue show the couple actively involved, with Mr. Moretti appearing to oversee the stripping back of the ceiling and the application of the foam insulation. Mr. Moretti explicitly stated, 'I did almost everything myself,' referring to the renovation efforts.

The Morettis have publicly insisted that all laws and regulations were followed and claimed the bar had been checked by safety inspectors three times in the last decade. They denied reports of narrow stairs or the use of non-fire-retardant materials. Jessica Moretti, who was inside the bar during the blaze, suffered burns to her arm. Le Constellation was known as a popular and lively nightspot in Crans-Montana, especially with a younger crowd, being one of the few bars allowing entry to those aged 16 and over. The couple had successfully built other businesses in the area, including a gourmet burger restaurant and a Corsican-style inn, and were planning a Corsican festival. The ongoing investigation is a collaborative effort involving a team of 30, with a further 30 people dedicated to victim identification through DNA and dental records, a process that is expected to take a significant amount of time. A helpline (+41 848 112 117) has been established for concerned families as the community grapples with the aftermath of this profound tragedy.