Tragic Fire in Swiss Ski Bar Linked to Lax Safety Inspections

Thu Jan 08 2026 23:51:24 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A devastating fire in Crans-Montana's Le Constellation bar took the lives of 40 people and injured 116, raising serious concerns over safety regulations and inspections in local venues.

Authorities revealed that the Swiss ski bar where a deadly fire occurred had not undergone inspections for five years, prompting immediate changes in local safety regulations. The mayor of Crans-Montana expressed profound regret, stating that the responsibilities for safety inspections and public safety will now be taken more seriously, including the banning of sparklers in venues. The investigation is ongoing as local and national authorities grapple with the implications of this tragedy.

The Swiss bar that was the scene of a fire which killed 40 people and injured 116 had not undergone safety checks for five years, authorities have said.

The mayor of Crans-Montana, Nicolas Feraud, told a Tuesday news conference that he could not explain why Le Constellation bar had not been checked in so long, but that the council was 'profoundly sorry'. The venues should have been checked annually.

We regret that - we owe it to the families and we will accept the responsibility, he said.

He added that sparklers - which are believed to have caused the fire when they were raised too close to the ceiling - will be banned in local venues.

Local authorities will now bring in an external contractor to inspect and audit all 128 venues in the area.

Feraud conceded there was a team of five people inspecting more than 10,000 buildings in Crans-Montana and could not explain why the bar had not been inspected since 2019.

Taking repeated questions on why the bar had not been checked, Feraud said: I have no answer for you today.

We're profoundly sorry about that and I know how hard that will be for the families.

He also mentioned that it would be down to the judges to determine if local authority members would be included in a criminal investigation that has been opened by Swiss prosecutors.

When the fire occurred on New Year's Day, the bar appeared to have more patrons than it was legally allowed, which Feraud stated was the responsibility of the managers of Le Constellation to regulate.

Feraud mentioned that the maximum capacity was 200 people, but he did not know if the exit on the basement level was functioning.

Swiss prosecutors have placed the bar's two managers under criminal investigation, suspected of manslaughter by negligence and arson by negligence.

Investigators believe that the fire started when people raised champagne bottles with sparklers that ignited sound-insulating foam on the ceiling of the basement bar, which Feraud labeled as extremely negligent.

He further stated that safety regulations were violated by the lack of inspections and the use of hazardous soundproofing foam.

In conclusion, this tragedy not only underscores the dire consequences of lax safety inspections but also highlights the need for stringent adherence to safety regulations to protect public lives.