Tragic Toll of Crans-Montana Bar Fire: 16 More Victims Identified

Mon Jan 05 2026 12:27:07 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The identification of 16 additional victims in the devastating Crans-Montana bar fire reveals the tragedy's deep impact on the community, with victims aged from 14 to over 24 from multiple nationalities.

Police in Switzerland have identified 16 more victims from the catastrophic fire at Le Constellation bar, raising the death toll to 24. Among the deceased are several young individuals, highlighting the tragic impact on families and communities affected. Investigations into potential negligence are ongoing as authorities seek justice for the victims.

The bodies of 16 more victims of a bar fire in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana have been identified by police.

The youngest person was a Swiss girl aged 14, with nine aged under 18. The group includes people of Swiss, Italian, Romanian, Turkish and French nationalities, police said.

This brings the number of identified victims killed as a result of the fire to 24, authorities said in a statement. Eight Swiss citizens were identified on Saturday.

A criminal investigation into the people who ran Le Constellation bar is ongoing, while victims' families endure an agonizing wait for information about loved ones who are still considered missing.

Police said no further details will be released about the identified victims out of respect for their relatives.

Sparklers on bottles being carried too close to the ceiling is the likely cause of the fire, a preliminary investigation found.

The devastating incident killed at least 40 people and injured 119 others, with many of the deceased being teenagers. Le Constellation was popular among younger crowds in the ski town, where the legal drinking age is 16.

The eight individuals identified and returned to their families on Saturday were aged between 16 and 24, according to Swiss authorities.

On Saturday, Italian ambassador to Switzerland Gian Lorenzo Cornado noted that the identification process has been slow due to the severity of victims' burns.

The French couple who own the bar, identified by media as Jacques and Jessica Moretti, are suspected of manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence, and arson by negligence, as revealed by prosecutors from the Valais region.

Beatrice Pilloud, lead prosecutor of Valais canton, stated that investigations are looking into whether the acoustic foam on the venue's ceiling was "the cause of the problem", along with its compliance with safety regulations.

Among the missing is a teenager known to have attended two schools in the UK, further highlighting the wide-ranging impact of this tragedy.