Mourners have continued to bring flowers and light candles to a makeshift memorial in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana to commemorate those who lost their lives when a blaze ripped through a packed bar popular with young people celebrating the new year, killing at least 40.
“We came to light a candle,” said Sisi Boisard, a regular visitor to Crans-Montana from France for the last 20 years. “We have five children and can’t begin to imagine what these families are going through. This is a tragedy that has cut profoundly, but not just here – it’s being felt across the world.”
She and her husband, Arlindo, were celebrating the new year with their daughter, who lives in a nearby town, when they heard about the fire.
On Sunday, police said they had identified 24 of those killed in the fire at Le Constellation, including 11 minors and six foreign nationals.
Local officers, who had already identified eight Swiss victims, said they had identified 10 more Swiss nationals – four female and six male aged between 14 and 31 – as well as two 16-year-old Italians, a 39-year-old French man, a 16-year-old dual national of Italy and the United Arab Emirates, an 18-year-old Romanian and an 18-year-old from Turkey.
The blaze also left 119 people injured.
Identifying the dead and injured is a painstaking process owing to the extent of their burns.
The bar owners and managers, Jacques and Jessica Moretti, a French couple, were put under criminal investigation by prosecutors on suspicion of committing homicide, bodily harm and arson by negligence.
Emanuele Galeppini, a 17-year-old Italian golfer who lived in Dubai, was on Friday the first of the victims to be identified publicly.
The tragedy has cut deep into the community of Crans-Montana. The resort is popular with the rich and famous, who come to ski, enjoy the luxury hotels and spend in many nearby designer shops.
But it is also home to a close-knit population of about 6,000 year-round residents, who during the holiday periods welcome back the families of mostly French and Italian second-home owners.
Several masses have been held since Thursday and some shops have closed in a show of respect. Local people have rushed to give blood to hospitals treating the injured, so much so that appointments for donations are booked up until the end of January. Others have offered homes for the families of those who remain unaccounted for.
The extent of the community’s heartbreak can be gleaned from the messages left at the memorial in front of the bar. “We will take your pain in our broken hearts … here in Crans-Montana, we will cherish their memories, you can count on us. 1 January 2026, the day our lives for ever changed with yours,” read one.
Maurice and Isabelle Direnne, from Crans-Montana, reflected on the disaster as they left flowers at the scene on Saturday morning.
“We don’t know anyone who died but still we feel an immense despair, a very strong pain,” said Maurice, adding that usually at this time of year, the resort is bustling and everyone is joyful. “But now we all feel completely crushed.”
Isabelle described a friendly and supportive community. She said she had considered how the tragedy might affect the image of the resort and tourism. “But really, thinking about this feels too early,” she said. “Our hearts are heavy with sadness.”
The tragedy dominates conversations on the streets and in bars of the resort as people reflect on the lives lost and their tragically young age. Inevitably, as a manslaughter investigation gets under way, people are asking questions about the cause of the fire and whether the bar had adequate safety measures in place.
Prosecutors said on Friday that the blaze probably began when sparkling candles were held too close to the ceiling of the venue’s basement level. They said the investigation would focus on renovations made to the bar, the fire-extinguishing systems and escape routes, as well as the number of people in the building when the fire started.
Le Constellation was especially popular with young people because it was free to enter and drinks were affordable. Groups of teenagers travelled across the border from France and Italy especially to spend the new year there.
Many living in the town have fond memories of the bar, where you could play on the pinball machines and watch live sport.
Marta Ramirez, who works in a clothes shop, recalled going there as a teenager. “It was a nice place to go at that age,” she added.
She said there was a lot of solidarity among residents, and people were checking in on each other. “It has hit us very hard.”
The shop reopened on Saturday even though trade was subdued.
Most of the Christmas and new year holidaymakers have left, while other visitors cut short their time because of the tragedy.
Even though skiers, many coming up for the day or weekend from nearby towns, continued to take to the slopes, Ramirez said it was too soon to think about the impact the disaster would have on the resort.
“If I’m really honest with you, we are just thinking about right now, and what happened two days ago,” she said. “I don’t think many people are thinking about next year. At the same time, this is not something that will be forgotten in a year. It will never be forgotten.”
