Swiss Bar Where New Year’s Blaze Killed 40 Lapsed in Fire Safety Inspections for YearsOfficials Say

NEED TO KNOW

• Fire killed 40 people and injured more than 100 during New Year’s celebration in Crans-Montana

• Officials say the bar missed required safety inspections for five consecutive years

• Investigators suspect champagne sparklers may have ignited ceiling materials

Fire safety inspections had not been conducted for several years at the Swiss bar where a New Year’s Eve blaze killed about 40 people and injured more than 100local officials sayas investigators continue probing what sparked one of the country’s deadliest nightclub fires in decades.

According to a CBS News reportthe fire broke out around 1:30 a.m. on Jan. 1 during a packed New Year’s celebration at Le Constellationa bar in the upscale Alpine ski resort town of Crans-Montana. Authorities have reported festive sparklers placed atop risen champagne bottles likely ignited the blaze when they came in contact with the ceilingthough the exact cause remains under investigation.

During a news conference held on TuesdayJan. 6the municipality of Crans-Montana stated that inspections of the bar — including fire safety checks — were carried out in 20162018 and 2019with certain modifications requested at the time. Howeverafter reviewing documents following the tragedyofficials discovered that “periodic checks were not carried out between 2020 and 2025,” Nicolas Féraudthe head of Crans-Montana's municipal governmentsaid at a news conference.

“We regret this bitterly,” Féraud saidadding that judicial authorities will determine what impact the lapse may have caused. “We owe it to the familiesand we will accept responsibility.”

Féraud said he could not immediately explain why inspections were not conducted for such an extended period. He added that an external expert had reviewed the bar’s soundproofing in September 2025 and concluded it complied with anti-noise regulationswithout flagging additional concerns.

Investigators are examining whether ceiling materials met fire safety standards and whether the use of sparklers inside the venue was permitted. Swiss prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into the bar’s two managerswho are suspected of involuntary homicideinvoluntary bodily harm and involuntarily causing a fireaccording to the Valais region’s chief prosecutor.

Officials noted that identifying victims proved difficult due to the severity of burns. Authorities confirmed on Jan. 4 that all 40 victims had been identifiedalong with 116 injured people. Hospitals in the region were quickly overwhelmedprompting some burn victims to be transferred to facilities in neighboring countriesincluding France.

Witnesses described scenes of panic as flames spread rapidly through the basement level before engulfing the upper floor. Several survivors told local media they saw champagne bottles topped with lit sparklers moments before the fire eruptedfollowed by a crush of people attempting to escape through narrow stairways and exits.

The bar had a reported maximum capacity of 200 people across two floorsthough officials determined the true headcount inside at the time of the fire may never be known.

In the aftermaththe municipality announced a ban on indoor fireworks and said it will commission an external agency to conduct inspections of similar establishments. Memorials of flowers and candles have grown outside the charred building as residents and visitors continue to mourn.

“This evening should have been a moment of celebration,” State Councillor Mathias Reynard said“but it turned into a nightmare felt across the country and beyond.”

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