Name: Swiss Alps bar not inspected for five years prior to deadly fire
Uploaded: 2026-01-06T14:06:14.712Z
Duration: 1 min 50 s
Description: Local authorities in Crans-Montana admitted failing to conduct fire and safety inspections at Le Constellation bar, where a fire killed 40 and injured 116 during New Year celebrations.

Local authorities in Crans-Montana admitted failing to conduct fire and safety inspections at Le Constellation bar, where a fire killed 40 and injured 116 during New Year celebrations.

Crans-Montana

Authorities in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, revealed that the Le Constellation bar had not been inspected for fire safety since 2019, prior to a fire that resulted in 40 deaths and over 100 injuries during a New Year's Eve celebration. Investigators believe the fire was started by sparklers on champagne bottles coming too close to the ceiling, and previous warnings about the risk had been documented.

In response, local officials have ordered urgent inspections of all 128 public establishments in the municipality and are examining whether the bar's soundproofing materials and use of sparklers complied with regulations. Swiss authorities have opened a criminal investigation into the bar's managers for suspected involuntary homicide, bodily harm, and causing a fire.

Swiss Alps bar not inspected for five years prior to deadly fire

Fire safety inspections hadn't been carried out for five years at the Le Constellation bar in the Swiss Alpstown of Kranz, Montana, where a fire killed 40 people and left more than 100 injured during a New Year's Eve party. In these circumstances, as an immediate measure, we have decided to mandate a specialized external office to carry out a control of our 128 public establishments in the municipality as quickly as possible. In this mandate, the municipality will also require the control of the materials, despite the fact that the law does not provide for this. Investigators said they believe sparklers on top of champagne bottles ignited the fire when they came too close to the ceiling. A resurfaced video from a 2019 New Year's Eve celebration at the same bar shows the dangers posed by the soundproofing foam on the ceiling may have been known for a long time. In the video, an employee is heard warning customers as they carried bottles with the same sparklers believed to be responsible for the deadly fire. Mayor Nicolas Ferrault told a press conference on Tuesday that the last inspection was done in 2019 and couldn't immediately explain why they hadn't been carried out since then. Authorities are looking into whether soundproofing material on the ceiling complied with regulations and whether the candles were permitted for use in the bar. Swiss authorities have opened a criminal investigation into the bar managers. The two are suspected of involuntary homicide, involuntary bodily harm and involuntarily causing a fire.

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